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photoelectric effect

The photoelectric effect or photoemission is the emission of electrons or other free carriers when light is shone onto a material. Electrons emitted in this manner can be called photoelectrons. The phenomenon is commonly studied in electronic physics, as well as in fields of chemistry, such as quantum chemistry or electrochemistry.

According to classical electromagnetic theory, this effect can be attributed to the transfer of energy from the light to an electron. From this perspective, an alteration in the intensity of light would induce changes in the rate of emission of electrons from the metal. Furthermore, according to this theory, a sufficiently dim light would be expected to show a time lag between the initial shining of its light and the subsequent emission of an electron. However, the experimental results did not correlate with either of the two predictions made by classical theory. Wikipedia, photoelectric effect


The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which light shining on a material's surface causes the ejection of electrons from that material. This effect is crucial in understanding the quantum nature of light. The intensity of the light does not determine the energy of the ejected electrons; instead, the light's frequency must exceed a specific threshold value unique to each material. This observation could not be explained by classical wave theory, which predicted that light's intensity alone should suffice.
Albert Einstein revolutionized this understanding by proposing that light consists of discrete packets of energy, called photons. He demonstrated that each photon has energy proportional to its frequency, given by the equation \( E = hf \), where \( E \) is energy, \( h \) is Planck's constant, and \( f \) is frequency. When a photon strikes an electron on the material's surface, it transfers its energy. If the photon's energy exceeds the material's work function (the energy needed to release an electron), the electron is ejected.
Einstein's explanation not only validated Max Planck's quantum theory but also laid the groundwork for quantum mechanics. The photoelectric effect is integral in technologies like solar cells and photoelectron spectroscopy. Einstein's work on this phenomenon earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921

See Also


Dissociation
Disintegration
intra-atomic energy
Optic Dynamo
Optic Dynamo-Generator - Pages 1-5
Optic Dynamo-Generator - Pages 41-46
Optic Dynamo-Generator - Pages 47-50
Russells Optic Dynamo-Generator
Subdivision
Sublimation
Table 13.03 - Photoelectric Effect of Elements

Created by Dale Pond. Last Modification: Saturday March 22, 2025 11:22:38 MDT by Dale Pond.