Franck and Hertz: electron collisions in mercury vapour

What changed

Observed abrupt electron-current changes associated with discrete energy loss in mercury vapour.

Scientific scope

The record is the exact two-author 1914 experimental paper. It does not retroactively assign every later quantum interpretation to the authors, absorb related papers in their series or generalize the apparatus to all atoms.

Evidence

The linked sources identify this contribution and its scope. WRS has not independently reconstructed the scientific claims. The record is the exact two-author 1914 experimental paper. It does not retroactively assign every later quantum interpretation to the authors, absorb related papers in their series or generalize the apparatus to all atoms.

Contributors

• James Franck · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.
• Gustav Hertz · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.

• University of Barcelona copy of Franck-Hertz paper

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

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