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The Crookes tube is an evacuated glass container, like the one seen in the figure. It has two electrodes: the cathode and the anode. The cathode is connected to a negative electric potential and the anode is connected to a positive potential. When there is a great potential difference between the electrodes, a mask with the shape of a Maltese cross projects a sharp shadow. This shadow suggested that the mysterious radiation originated in the cathode and propagated towards the anode in a straight line. The light produced was caused by the excitation of the residual gas by something that travelled through it. All that remained to be done was to find out the nature of this radiation. In the end, the radiation turned out to be electrons that are separated from the cathode. An improved Crookes tube, the cathode ray tube, allowed a more rigorous study of the phenomenon. |
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