In this paper, the distributions of two spectral intensities along the axis of an arc column of the breaking arc are measured by using a combination of a CCD color camera and an additional filter, and arc temperature and metal-vapor quantity are calculated, when copper electrodes interrupt circuits of dc 50 V/3.3 A and 5.0 A. As results; The spectral intensities of excited copper atoms are the strongest near the cathode and become weaker with distance from the cathode in the small number of breaking arcs. The spectral intensities become strong near the anode in the large number of breaking arcs. The average arc temperature in the cross-section of an arc column is high near both the cathode and the anode, and the temperature distribution in the cross-section of the arc column is high at the axis of the arc column, and the arc temperature along the axis of the arc column is high near both the cathode and the anode. The metal-vapor quantity is low near both the cathode and the anode, and it is much at the center of the arc column.

In this study the spectral intensities of a breaking arc were measured near the cathode and the anode between separating Pd contacts in a DC 50 V/5 A circuit, and arc temperature and metal-vapor quantity and density were calculated. Results show the radial distribution of temperature in the cross section of an arc column was constant both near the cathode and the anode from the beginning to the extinction of the breaking arc. Near the cathode the arc temperature in the position of the peak value of spectral intensity rose to about 6000 K at the beginning and remained constant, but near the anode it rose to about 6000 K at the beginning and then decreased towards the extinction of the arc. Both near the cathode and the anode metal-vapor quantity and density rose suddenly at the beginning. Afterwards, they fell near the cathode until extinction. But they became constant approaching extinction near the anode. And the metal-vapor quantity was greater and the density higher near the cathode than near the anode.