X-Ray Spectrometer

Bragg's spectrometer used to verify the Bragg’s

law.

X-rays from an X-ray tube are made to pass

through two fine slits S1 and S2. This fine X-ray
beam is then made to fall upon the crystal ’C’
(usually sodium chloride crystal) mounted on      
the spectrometer table. This table is capable      
of          rotation. The reflected beam after passing
through the slits S3 and  S4 enters the ionization
chamber. The X-rays entering the ionization
chamber ionize the gas which causes a current to flow between the electrodes and
the current can be measured. The ionization current is measured for different values
of glancing angle θ. A graph is drawn between the glancing angle θ and ionization
current.

For certain values of glancing angle, the ionization current increases abruptly.

The first peak corresponds to first order, the second peak to second order and so
on. From the graph, the glancing angles for different orders of reflection can be
measured. Knowing the angle θ and wavelength of X-rays, the spacing d for the
crystal can be determined.
 Powder Crystal Method
The sample in the powdered form is placed in the path of monochromatic X-rays. ie.
λ is fixed while θ and d vary. The reflections take place for those values of d,θ and λ
which satisfy the Bragg's law. This method is called the power method. The
experimental arrangement consists of a monochromatic X-ray collimated by two
slits S, and S, falls on the powdered specimen taken in a thin glass tube. Thes
pecimen S is suspended vertically on the axis of a cylindrical camera which is
surrounded with graphic film.

Reflected beams emerge out from the specimen in all directions inclined at an angle
2θ with the direction of the incident beam. The reflected rays will be as shown in
the figure.

If L is the radius , R is the distance of spectrum from centre, then

θ= Arc / Radius = R /2L

Using this angle θ, knowing wavelength we can find out d