PLANCK’S CONSTANT BY

PHOTOCELL
AIM: Determination of Planck’s constant by
Photocell.
APPARATUS: Photo emissive cell mounted in a box
provided with a wide slit, DC power supply, set of
color filters, light source.
1). PHOTOCELL: The photocell is a device used to
demonstrate the photoelectric effect and also used to
detect and measure light. A photocell is consist of
evacuated glass tube containing a wire anode and
concave cathode of suitable emitting material.
2). COLOR FILTERS: Color filters is a sheet of
transparent material of a thin layer of colored gelatin,
glass , etc, that transmits light of certain colors or
wavelengths but considerably reduces the transmission
of others.
3). LIGHT SOURCE: Halogen tungsten lamp or quartz
halogen. It is advanced form of incandescent lamp. The
filament is composed of ductile tungsten and the glass
bulb is made up of fused quartz, high silica glass or
aluminosilicate.
 THEORY: The original concept of Planck’s constant
was given in 1900’s, Planck’s postulated that the
radiation energy is transmitted in packages. After that in
1905, Albert Einstein extended the quantum theory of
Max Planck and explai
ned the photoelectric effect and argued that light was
not a wave – it is - particulate and it travel in the form of
packets and bundles known as ”Quanta or photon”.
“The energy of photon is directly proportional to
frequency(v) of radiation/light.

E∝ v

E=hv
Where, h is Planck’s constant =6.626176 x 10-34 Js
Here the energy of photon (=hv) spent in two ways:
1). The minimum energy required to eject the electron
from metal surface called work function(ɸ ˳) of metal.
2).The remaining energy (hv- ɸ˳) is the maximum kinetic
energy of the electron with which a photoelectron will be
ejected. Thus,
Maximum K.E. of electron=energy of photon work
function
Maximum K.E. = ½mv²=(hv-ɸ˳)……………………(1)
STOPPING POTENTIAL(Vs): The minimum
required voltage for the blocking of photoelectrons from
arriving at the anode is called the stopping potential Vs
. Therefore,the “stopping energy” of each electron is
therefore eVs which is equal to the kinetic energy K
imparted to the electron by an incident photon.

Also, ½mv²= eVs ………………………(2)

Compairing (1) and (2), we get;

eVs = hv -ɸ˳

Vs = h/e( v-ɸ˳)

PROCEDURE:
1. Set up the apparatus on the table so that the
aperture in front of the photocell faces the light
source and can be slid against it.
2. Remove the cover of drawtube and insert red color
filter.
3. Set the intensity switch at strong light and voltage
switch at negative direction.
4. Set display mode switch to current mode.
5. Adjust de-accelerating voltage to 0V and set current
multiplier at X0.001
 6. After all adjustment, increase the de-accelerating till
the photo current reduced to zero at digital meter.
7. When current shown in digital meter is zero, switch
the display mode to voltage mode. Note down the
voltage, it is the stopping voltage for red filter.
8. Repeat the same procedure for other color filters of
different wavelength to find their stopping voltage.

OBSERVATION TABLE:
S.No. Filters Wavelength( Frequency( Stopping
Voltage(Vs)