hurricane89 said:does anyone know what the minimum frequency actually is that the light needs to be in order for photons to be emmited? also, is there a point where if the frequencies too high, does THAT = no electron emmision? that is all!
hurricane89 said:oh so there's a bunch of electricity involved huh. are hertz how many times the photon zigzags per second?
ZapperZ said:There is a problem in the very basic understanding of the photoelectric effect here. Maybe you should start with the basic Einstein's photoelectric effect equation, and then see if there is still something you don't understand.
http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/252/photoelectric_effect.html
In particular, pay attention to what is meant by the work function that is material dependent.
Zz.
ARTICLE said:"(he called the transmitter spark A, the receiver B): "I occasionally enclosed the spark B in a dark case so as to more easily make the observations; and in so doing I observed that the maximum spark-length became decidedly smaller in the case than it was before. On removing in succession the various parts of the case, it was seen that the only portion of it which exercised this prejudicial effect was that which screened the spark B from the spark A. The partition on that side exhibited this effect, not only when it was in the immediate neighbourhood of the spark B, but also when it was interposed at greater distances from B between A and B. A phenomenon so remarkable called for closer investigation."
The photoelectric effect is the phenomenon where electrons are emitted from a material when it is exposed to light of a certain frequency. This was first observed by scientist Heinrich Hertz in the late 1800s.
When light of a certain frequency, or energy, is shone on a material, it transfers its energy to the electrons in the material. If the energy of the light is high enough, it can knock electrons off the material's surface, resulting in a flow of current.
The energy of a photon, or particle of light, is directly proportional to its frequency. This means that higher frequency light has more energy and can cause the emission of more electrons in the photoelectric effect.
The photoelectric effect is one of the key pieces of evidence supporting the particle nature of light. The fact that the energy of the light is directly related to its frequency suggests that light behaves like a particle, rather than a wave.
The photoelectric effect has many practical applications, such as solar panels and photodiodes, and has also played a major role in the development of quantum mechanics. It also helped scientists better understand the nature of light and its behavior as both a particle and a wave.