Properties of ANODE Rays

(i). They consist of Positively charged particles. Their mass is virtually the same as that of the atoms from which they are derived and is found to be equal to the atomic mass of the gas in the discharge tube.
(ii). They travel in straight lines.
(iii). They are capable of producing physical and chemical changes.
(iv). They can penetrate thin metal foils.
(v). They can produce ionization in gases.
(vi). They are deflected by electrical and magnetic fields just as the cathode rays but in opposite directions showing that they are oppositely charged, i.e., they carry positive charge. Since their deflection is very little, they consist of very heavy particles.
It was found that these rays, unlike cathode rays have very low e/m ratio which varied with the particular gas used in the tube but remains unaffected by varying the material of the anode and hence it was concluded, that they were produced from the gas and not from the anode.

EXPLANATION

The production of the anode rays from the gas can be generalized as follows;
When high speed electrons (cathode rays) strike molecule of a gas placed in the discharge tube, they knock out one or more electrons from it.
Thus a positive ion is formed

These positive ions pass through the perforated cathode and constitute positive rays.
Further experiments revealed that when Hydrogen gas is taken in the discharge tube, the particles present in the anode rays have highest e/m ratio (9.58 × 104C/g) i.e., particles have minimum mass. The charge on these particles is found to be same as that of electron but of opposite sign i.e., +1.6 × 10-19 C. Hence the mass of each of the particle was found to be 1.67 × 10–24 g which is nearly same as that of hydrogen atom. These particles were termed as Protons.