Principle

Various metal samples are subjected to polychromatic X-rays. The energy of the resulting fluorescence radiation is analysed with the aid of a semiconductor detector and a multi channel analyser. The energy of the corresponding characteristic X-ray lines is determined and the resulting Moseley diagram is used to determine the Rydberg frequency and the screening constants.

Tasks

1. Calibrate the semiconductor energy detector with the aid of the characteristic radiation of the  tungsten X-ray tube.
2. Record the spectra of the fluorescence radiation that are generated by the metal samples.
3. Determine the energy values of the corresponding characteristic K α- and K β-lines.
4. Determine the Rydberg frequency and screening constants with the aid of the resulting Moseley diagrams.

What you can learn about

• Bremsstrahlung
• characteristic X-radiation
• Absorption of X-rays
• Bohr's atom model
• Energy levels
• Moseley's law
• Rydberg frequency
• Screening constant
• Semiconductor energy detectors
• Multichannel analysers