Lab: #12 Planning and Designing Lab

Date: April 21, 2023

Aim: To investigate how the ionization current depends on air pressure.
Hypothesis: The ionization current depends on air pressure.
Apparatus: Battery, Pressure gauge, Metal rod, Metal lid, Alpha source (Americium), Ionization
chamber (Metal can), Hand pump, DC amplifier, Insulating disc
Diagram:
A diagram showing the ionization chamber (Metal can)

Variables:
Responding: The ionization current
Manipulated: The air pressure
Control: The temperature inside the Ionization chamber

Procedure:
1. Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram.
2. Remove the lid of the can.
3. Put on safety equipment.
4. Place the Alpha source (Americium) in the ionization chamber on the platform.
5. Set the air pressure in the ionization chamber to 100 kPa, 200 kPa, 300 kPa, 400 kPa and 500
kPa by using the hand pump.
6. Record the result of the ionization current and the air pressure in a table.
7. -Plot a Current vs Pressure graph.

Expected results and Explanation of important points:

Therefore, it is expected that the electrons are attracted to the can and the positive ions move to
the central rod causing a current to flow in the external circuit. The ionization current depends on
the air pressure, therefore the ionization current is proportional to the air pressure. If the air
pressure increases, the ionization current also increases. The type of source which was used in
the investigation is an alpha emitter. The alpha particles from the Americium source produces
105- 106 ion-pairs as it passes through the air in the chamber. The ionization current is measured
by using a DC amplifier.

Precaution:
1. Use time, distance, shielding, and containment to reduce exposure.
2. Wear laboratory coat and laboratory safety glasses to prevent contamination or contact with
the eyes and the body.
3. Always wear gloves when handling the radioactive substance.
Treatment of results:
A TABLE SHOWING IONIZATION CURRENT, AIR PRESSURE & TEMPERATURE
Ionization current Air Pressure Temperature

Discussion:
The ionization current depends on the air pressure, therefore the ionization current is
proportional to the air pressure. If the air pressure increases, the ionization current also increases.
The type of source which was used in the investigation is a alpha emitter. The alpha particles
from the Americium source produces 105- 106 ion-pairs as it passes through the air in the
chamber. The ionization current is measured by using a DC amplifier. The current is measured, I,
by causing the resistor in op amp to connect the source of the current (the ionization chamber)
across the input terminals. If this produces a reading of 40 µA, since the DC amplifier is
calibrated to register 100 µA for an input PD of 1 V, it follows that PD across the 10-10 Ω resistor
is 0.4V and that (since I= V/R) I= 0.4/1010 = 4 x 10-11A. The method of changing the air pressure
is by using a hand pump and in order to measure the air pressure a pressure gauge is used.