Physics 236 Lab E12

Trevor Scheopner
April 3, 2015

Lab Time: Friday, 10 AM Partner: Justin Madden Lab Station:9 Instructor: Sicilian

Experimental Objective: To measure the charge to mass ratio of the electron.

Diagram: Provided on Lab Report page.

Original Data:

Va is the voltage of the anode. Vf is the voltage of the filament. d is the diameter of curvature of
the electron beam. Im is the measured value of the current in the magnetic wire. Do uter is the outer
diameter of the magnetic wire coil. Di nner is the inner diameter of the magnetic wire coil.

Va Vf d Im
1 48.18 .09V 3.146 .007V .065 .001m 3.83 .04A
2 48.18 .09V 3.146 .007V .078 .001m 3.26 .04A
3 48.18 .09V 3.147 .007V .090 .001m 2.80 .03A
4 48.18 .09V 3.147 .007V .103 .001m 2.52 .03A
5 48.18 .09V 3.147 .007V .115 .001m 2.26 .03A
6 24.09 .06 V 3.150 .007V .065 .001m 2.74 .03A
7 24.09 .06V 3.150 .007V .078 .001m 2.30 .03A
8 24.09 .06V 3.152 .007V .090 .001m 2.02 .02A
9 24.09 .06V 3.153 .007V .103 .001m 1.77 .02A
10 24.09 .06V 3.155 .007V .115 .001m 1.610 .019A
Douter Dinner
1 .677 .010m .643 .010m
2 .672 .010m .636 .010m
3 .683 .010m .650 .010m

Formulas, Sample Calculations, and Error Analysis:

Fmagnetic = qvB
q=e
Fmagnetic = evB
Fmagnetic = Fcentripetal
mv 2
evB =
r
reB
v=
m

1
 K = U
1
mv 2 = eV
2
 2
1 reB
m = eV
2 m
e 2V
= 2 2
m B r
80 N I
B=
5 5R

R is the average radius of the magnetic coil with error equal to the standard deviation of the individual
radius values times the confidence coefficient for 3 measurements at 95% (3.04) and equals .330 .010m.
N is number of turns of the magnetic wire and equals 72. 0 is the permeability of free space and equals
1.257 106 NA-2 . I = Im I0 , where I0 is the y-intercept of the graph of the line I versus 1/r. I0 ,
through the use of Excel, equals .23 .12A for the 48.18V measurements and .14 .03A for the 24.09V
measurements.

I = Im I0
s 2  2 q
I I
I = Im + I0 = Im 2 + I0 2
Im I0
p
I1 = 3.83A .23A (.04A)2 + (.12A)2 = 3.60 .13A
I2 = 3.03 .13A
I3 = 2.57 .12A
I4 = 2.29 .12A
I5 = 2.03 .12A
I6 = 2.60 .04A
I7 = 2.16 .04A
I8 = 1.88 .04A
I9 = 1.63 .04A
I10 = 1.47 .04A
80 N I
B=
5 5R
s 2  2 s 
2  2
B B 80 N I I
B = I + R = + R
I R 5 5 R R2
s
2  2
8 1.257 106 N A2 72 3.60A .13A 3.03A
B1 = + .010m = .00071 .00003N m1 A1
5 5 .330m .330m (.330m)2

B2 = .00059 .00003N m1 A1
B3 = .00050 .00003N m1 A1
B4 = .00045 .00003N m1 A1
B5 = .00040 .00003N m1 A1
B6 = .000510 .000017N m1 A1
B7 = .000424 .000015N m1 A1
B8 = .000369 .000014N m1 A1
B9 = .000320 .000012N m1 A1
B10 = .000289 .000012N m1 A1

2
r, the radius of curvature of the electron beam, is half the diameter of the electron beam.
d
r=
s 2
2
r 1
r = d = (.001m) = .0005m
d 2
.065m 1
r1 = r6 = (.001m) = .0325 .0005m
2 2
r2 = r7 = .0390 .0005m
r3 = r8 = .0450 .0005m
r4 = r9 = .0515 .0005m
r5 = r10 = .0575 .0005m

V , the potential difference experienced by the eletron is its final potential, Va , minus its initial potential
which on average is Vf /2.

Vf
V = Va
s 2 s
2  2  2
V V Vf
V = Va + Vf = Va 2 +
Va Vf 2
s  2
3.146V .007V
V1 = 48.18V (.09V )2 + = 46.61 .09V
2 2
V2 = 46.61 .09V
V3 = 46.61 .09V
V4 = 46.61 .09V
V5 = 46.61 .09V
V6 = 22.52 .06V
V7 = 22.52 .06V
V8 = 22.51 .06V
V9 = 22.51 .06V
V10 = 22.51 .06V
2V
e/m = 2 2
s B r
 2  2
2 2V 2V
(e/m) = 2 2 V 2 + B + r
B r B r
2
(e/m)1 =
(.00071N m1 A1 )2 (.0325m)2
s
 2  2
2 46.61V 2 46.61V
46.61V (.09V )2 + .00003N m1 A1 + .0005m = (1.75 .16) 1011 Ckg 1
.00071N m1 A1 .0325m

(e/m)2 = (1.76 .18) 1011 Ckg 1

(e/m)3 = (1.8 .2) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)4 = (1.7 .2) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)5 = (1.8 .3) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)6 = (1.64 .12) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)7 = (1.65 .12) 1011 Ckg 1

3
 (e/m)8 = (1.63 .13) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)9 = (1.66 .13) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)10 = (1.63 .14) 1011 Ckg 1

The average result, (e/m)avg , is the average principal value of the above results and equals 1.71
1011 Ckg 1 . The standard deviation of the results, , is .06 1011 Ckg 1 .

Principal Results:

(e/m)1 = (1.75 .16) 1011 Ckg 1

(e/m)2 = (1.76 .18) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)3 = (1.8 .2) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)4 = (1.7 .2) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)5 = (1.8 .3) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)6 = (1.64 .12) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)7 = (1.65 .12) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)8 = (1.63 .13) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)9 = (1.66 .13) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)10 = (1.63 .14) 1011 Ckg 1
(e/m)avg = 1.71 1011 Ckg 1
= .06 1011 Ckg 1

The value with the highest voltage and least radius of curvature is (e/m)1 = (1.75 .16) 1011 Ckg 1
which is also the closest value to the accepted value of (1.758820088 .000000039) 1011 Ckg 1 .

Sources of Uncertainty:
1. Error in the radius of the magnetic ring (R) (Due to error in the measurements made by the meter
stick and the imperfect approximation of the ring as circular with effective radius equal to the
aritmetic mean of the inner and outer radii).
2. Error in the current (I) (Due to both error in the measurement in Im and the random error in the
accounting for the current due to the Earths magnetic field I0 ).
3. Error in the radius of curvature of the electron beam (r) (Due to error in the measured location of
the prongs).
4. Error in the change of potential of the electrons (V ) (Due to error in the measured values Va and
Vf which are equipment error).
Discussion and Conclusions:

The result obtained was very near to the accepted value of the charge to mass ratio of the electron.
Thus, the experiment was successful. However, the error is large (about 10%). This error could be
reduced by accounting for the fact that the magnetic ring had thickness and that the arithmetic mean of
the inner and outer radii is not the best approximation of the effective radius given the way that radius is
used in calculation as well as by taking more measurements of those inner and outer radii. Also, the error
could be reduced by taking more measurements of the current allowing for more accurate adjustment for
the Earths magnetic field. These two sources of error are the most significant (by more than an order
of magnitude) and so the reduction of those would significantly improve the quality of the results.