Strange Planck's Constant Data

In summary: I can't think of any reasoning for the systematic error as that was my first time ever using it. I also can't find any particular sites that may account for this anomaly online either.My feeling is that the yellow filter was transmitting some shorter wavelength components but I just don't know.Hopefully others will come in here with some suggestions.It seems to me that you have done just about everything you can, so if I was you I wouldn't bother about it and go ahead and process your results.
  • #1
Procrastinate
158
0
I was doing a practical to analyse for my school assessment with regard to Planck's constant. I was using a Planck's constant kit to get some results but the results I was getting was inconsistent with my research as seen below. Isn't the voltage meant to increase as the wavelength is shorter? My results seem really muddled up and I did it again and it still came out with the same results. Perhaps there is something wrong with the machine or is this just the way it is meant to be?


Aperture Diameter (mm)
7
10
14
20
N/A (fully exposed)

Results aligned with aperture size list (I couldn't put the table on here)

Blue 428nm Voltage (V)
0.37
0.68
1.06
1.31
1.35

Green 460nm
Voltage (V)
0.19
0.34
0.71
0.98
1.01

Yellow 492nm
Voltage (V)
0.77
1.11
1.36
1.50
1.52

Orange 530nm
Voltage (V)
0.28
0.55
0.91
1.13
1.16

Red 590nm
Voltage (V)
0.07
0.15
0.27
0.44
0.48
 
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  • #2
Your results show that the voltage does increase as the wavelength gets shorter. Red waves were the longest and blue waves the shortest.
 
  • #3
Dadface said:
Your results show that the voltage does increase as the wavelength gets shorter. Red waves were the longest and blue waves the shortest.

Yes but why is yellow greater than blue? It should be just a bit greater than red.
 
  • #4
Procrastinate said:
Yes but why is yellow greater than blue? It should be just a bit greater than red.

Oh yes, I see what you mean.First time I just scanned the numbers but your post above forced me to look more carefully.Forget yellow for the moment and the trend for the other wavelengths seems to be correct.Now why the anomalous results for yellow?Did you use filters ?If so these transmit a range of wavelengths and perhaps the yellow filter was of lower quality compared to the others.Perhaps you could look up the characteristics of the filters you used.Of course I'm not familiar with the equipment you used or what you did but your overall results look pretty good to me and I would go ahead and process them anyway.I imagine you would get some pretty good graphical plots with yellow standing out as an anomoly.Don't worry about anomolies,unless you get the opportunity to go back and recheck them experimentally there is nothing you can do about them, but you can write about them and come up with some suggestions as to why they cropped up.
 
  • #5
Yes I did use filters. Those were the five that were available. I did it again the next day and the results were similar to those.

I can't think of any reasoning for the systematic error as that was my first time ever using it. I also can't find any particular sites that may account for this anomaly online either.
 
  • #6
My feeling is that the yellow filter was transmitting some shorter wavelength components but I just don't know.Hopefully others will come in here with some suggestions.It seems to me that you have done just about everything you can, so if I was you I wouldn't bother about it and go ahead and process your results.
 

1. What is Planck's constant and why is it important?

Planck's constant is a fundamental constant in quantum mechanics that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency. It is important because it allows us to understand the behavior of particles on a microscopic level and is essential in many important equations and theories in physics.

2. What is "strange" about Planck's constant data?

There are a few aspects of Planck's constant data that can be considered strange. One is that it is a very small number, with a value of approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 joule seconds. Another aspect is that it cannot be measured directly, but is instead calculated from other known values. Additionally, there is still much about Planck's constant that is not fully understood, leading to ongoing research and debates.

3. How is Planck's constant used in everyday life?

While Planck's constant may seem abstract and theoretical, it actually has many practical applications in everyday life. For example, it is used in the development of electronic devices, such as transistors and computer processors. It is also crucial in fields like nanotechnology, where understanding the behavior of particles at a microscopic level is vital.

4. Can Planck's constant be changed or is it a constant value?

As the name suggests, Planck's constant is a fundamental constant and is believed to be unchanging. However, there are some theories, such as the varying speed of light theory, that suggest Planck's constant may not be a constant value. However, these theories are still under debate and have not been proven.

5. How was Planck's constant discovered?

Planck's constant was first introduced by physicist Max Planck in 1900 as a way to explain the behavior of blackbody radiation. Planck's constant was later confirmed through various experiments, such as the photoelectric effect, and has since become a cornerstone of quantum mechanics.

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