Under what conditions are cathode rays produced in a discharge tube?
Answer Details
Cathode rays are streams of electrons that are emitted from the cathode of a discharge tube. A discharge tube is a partially evacuated glass tube with two metal electrodes: a cathode (negative electrode) and an anode (positive electrode). When a voltage is applied across the electrodes, a current flows through the gas in the tube, and cathode rays can be produced.
The conditions required to produce cathode rays in a discharge tube are low pressure and high voltage. When the gas inside the tube is at a low pressure, there are fewer gas molecules to collide with the electrons emitted from the cathode. This means that the electrons can travel a longer distance without colliding with other particles, which allows them to form a visible beam of cathode rays.
The high voltage applied to the electrodes causes a potential difference between the cathode and anode. This potential difference accelerates the electrons emitted from the cathode towards the anode. The faster the electrons travel, the more kinetic energy they have, and the more likely they are to collide with other gas molecules in the tube. These collisions can cause the gas molecules to become ionized, which can create a cascade effect, leading to the production of more electrons and the formation of a bright beam of cathode rays.
Therefore, the correct answer is: Low pressure and high voltage.