UNIT 2 PHYSICS

HOLY NAME CONVENT, PORT OF SPAIN

Date: Lab number:

Name: Danielle Franklyn

Aim: To investigate how the absorption of ultra-violet radiation by water depends upon the depth of
water which the ultra-violet radiation passes through.

Apparatus: Electroscope, zinc plate, source of ultra-violet radiation, pure water, meter ruler, 2 ×
retort stands and clamps, 500 ml quartz container, stopwatch, Perspex rod, cloth, iron wool, Vernier
caliper, measuring cylinder

Method:
Diagram of set up of apparatus P/D

D1

D2

D3

M1

M2

M3

M4

M5

M6

M7

SOE

P
 Hypothesis

If as the depth of water, d/m, increases, more ultra-violet radiation is absorbed by the water
therefore, the rate of gold leaf deflection/s will decrease.

Method:

1. Set up the apparatus as illustrated in the Diagram of Apparatus. Ensure that the distance
between the zinc plate and the source of ultraviolet radiation, h/m, remains fixed
throughout the experiment to avoid variability in intensity and photon absorption.
2. Prepare the zinc plate by scrubbing both sides of its surface with iron wool to remove the
surface oxide layer. Position the cleaned plate on top of the electroscope.
3. To charge the electroscope, rub a Perspex rod with a cloth to create a positive charge.
Bring the positively charged rod into close contact with the zinc plate. While the rod is
near the plate, touch the zinc plate with your forefinger, then remove your finger and
finally take away the rod.
4. To ensure consistent charging of the rod for each trial, use the protractor within the gold-
leaf electroscope to note the angle to which the leaf rises.
5. Set the source of ultraviolet radiation to a fixed frequency of 1500 THz.
6. Using a measuring cylinder, measure 50 cm³ of pure water and place it into the quartz
container. Using the depth rod of a Vernier caliper, ensure the depth of water is 50 cm.
7. Turn on the source of ultraviolet radiation and use a stopwatch to time how long it takes for
the leaf to fall back to 0°. Record this value in the Table of Results.
8. Repeat steps 3-4 to charge the plate negatively, ensuring that the angle to which the leaf
rises is consistent with that of the first trial. This ensures that the plate was charged to the
same degree.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 for water depths of 100 cm, 150 cm, 200 cm, 250 cm, and 300 cm of
water.
10. Repeat the entire experiment for accuracy of results.

Table of Results:
TITLE: TABLE 1 SHOWING HOW THE RATE OF GOLD LEAF DEFLECTION, R /S
VARIES AS THE DEPTH OF WATER IN THE QUARTZ CONTAINER IS ALSO
VARIED

Rate of gold leaf deflection, R /s

50

100

150

200

250

300

Analysis of results: Planning and Design

What type of graph would you plot?

A graph of rate of gold leaf deflection, R /s against depth of water, d/m would be plotted.

What shape of graph would you expect?

An exponential graph should be plotted indicating that as depth increases, more UV radiation
is absorbed by water. As a result, less UV reaches the zinc plate, reducing photoemission. This
means the gold leaf takes longer to fall as depth increases.

How does the absorption of ultra-violet radiation by water depend upon the depth of water
which the ultra-violet radiation passes through.
The absorption of UV radiation increases exponentially with depth. At shallow depths, most

UV radiation penetrates with minimal absorption resulting in a high rate of gold leaf

deflection. However, as depth increases, a greater number of UV photons are absorbed,

resulting in less radiation reaching the zinc plate and thus a reduced rate in gold leaf deflection.

Beyond a certain depth, almost all UV radiation is absorbed, which inhibits the occurrence of

the photoelectric effect.

1. Errors caused by human actions may occur when starting and stopping the stopwatch in
relation to the gold leaf reaching 0°.

2. Variations in temperature may influence the electron emission rate from the zinc plate due
to the photoelectric effect, resulting in possible inconsistencies.

3. Although only pure water is used, any accidental contamination of the water can lead to
errors in the results of rate of gold leaf deflection, R /s.

4. Ambient light may disrupt the electroscope's sensitivity, impacting its reaction to ultraviolet
radiation and hence affecting the rate of gold leaf deflection, R /s.

Precautions:

1. Ensure the gold-leaf electroscope is accurately calibrated to prevent any errors in angle
readings or deflection degree.

2. Ensure that the water depth is assessed from the same reference point each time and that
the water is evenly spread throughout the container to ensure uniformity across trials.

3. Handle the zinc plate with care, avoiding direct contact with your fingers or any possible
contaminants that could impact the plate's performance.
Discussion:

As the water depth increases, the intensity of UV radiation that reaches the zinc plate
diminishes due to the absorption of UV photons by the water. This is likely to lead to a longer
duration for the electroscope leaf to revert back to 0° as the water depth rises, since fewer
photons will be available to be absorbed by the zinc plate at greater depths.

Difficulties in the experiment would include accurately measuring the time it takes for the
electroscope's leaf to return to 0°, particularly if the leaf doesn’t move instantly or if it
oscillates before stabilizing, and the electroscope might be overly sensitive to minor changes in
charge, complicating the process to obtain precise measurements or consistent readings,
especially at lower angles.

One improvement to the experiment would be to use a digital electroscope with accurate
sensors in order to attain the angle of deflection instead of depending on the gold-leaf
protractor. This could minimize errors associated with manual readings. Additionally,
incorporating a digital timer or sensor that automatically tracks the duration for the leaf to
reach 0° would help decrease human error in timing.

Reflection:

This experiment shows how water absorbs UV radiation and how this affects electron emission
from a zinc plate. The setup depicts how different water depths impact the rate of electron
emission. However, problems with uneven charging of the electroscope, inaccurate depth
measurements, and timing errors can affect the results. The experiment emphasizes the need for
careful measurements, especially for water depth and the UV radiation source. A key point is
that using better equipment, like digital sensors and timers, could help improve accuracy and
reduce mistakes. The penetration of UV light into bodies of water, such as oceans and lakes, is
affected by atmospheric changes like ozone depletion and pollution. Through this experiment,
marine biologists can understand how climate change impacts the interaction between UV
radiation and water, helping aquatic ecosystems combat the effects of global warming.
Conclusion:

The experiment aimed to determine how water depth affects UV radiation absorption. The
hypothesis predicted that greater depth would increase absorption, reducing UV intensity at the
zinc plate. If confirmed, the graph showing the time for the electroscope leaf to return to 0°
would indicate that deeper water absorbs more UV radiation. Inconsistencies could suggest
experimental errors that need addressing.