Drakkith said:The photon has a chance of being absorbed, yes. If it is absorbed and its energy is less than the work function then it simply adds its energy to the metal, heating it up.
VHAHAHA said:thank you for ur help, this problem really bothers me a lot =D
The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from a material when it is exposed to light. This effect was first observed by Heinrich Hertz in 1887 and was later explained by Albert Einstein in 1905 through his theory of quantum mechanics.
The work function is the minimum amount of energy required to remove an electron from the surface of a material. It is often denoted by the symbol Φ and is measured in electron volts (eV).
The intensity of light does not affect the photoelectric effect. Instead, it is the frequency of the light that determines the energy of the photons and therefore, the energy of the emitted electrons.
The photoelectric effect has several practical applications, such as in photoelectric cells used in solar panels, photomultiplier tubes used in particle detectors, and photoelectric sensors used in automatic doors and motion detectors. It also played a crucial role in the development of quantum mechanics.
No, the photoelectric effect cannot be explained by classical physics. Classical physics predicts that electrons should be emitted from a material regardless of the frequency of light, which is not observed in the photoelectric effect. It was only through Einstein's theory of quantum mechanics that the phenomenon was properly explained.