What happens when cathode rays are passed through a gas?

Answer

When cathode rays are passed through a gas, the following events occur:

1. **Definition of Cathode Rays**: Cathode rays are streams of high-speed electrons emitted from the cathode in a vacuum tube. These electrons travel at speeds close to that of light.

2. **Interaction with Gas Atoms**: When cathode rays (high-speed electrons) collide with gas atoms, they interact with the electrons of the gas atoms.

3. **Collision Effects**: The collision between the high-speed electrons and the gas atoms can lead to the ionization of the gas atoms. This means that the gas atoms lose one or more of their electrons due to the energy transferred from the cathode rays.

4. **Formation of Positive Ions**: As a result of the ionization, the gas atoms become positively charged ions. This is because they have lost negatively charged electrons.

5. **Generation of Anode Rays**: The positively charged ions created in the gas can be referred to as anode rays. These rays consist of positively charged particles that move towards the cathode.

6. **Overall Effect**: The overall effect of passing cathode rays through a gas is the ionization of the gas, leading to the formation of positive ions and the generation of anode rays.