Difference in energy between potential and light in photoelectric effect

AI Thread Summary
When light is shone on a metal surface, if the photon energy exceeds the work function, an electron is emitted. For example, with a photon energy of 1 eV and a work function of 0.5 eV, the emitted electron will have 0.5 eV of kinetic energy. If the work function is greater than the photon energy, such as 1.1 eV, the photon will not cause electron emission, and it may pass through or diffract. The excess energy from the photon does not lead to re-emission of another photon; instead, it is not absorbed at all. The kinetic energy of the emitted electron is simply the energy of the photon minus the work function.
Denver Dang
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Hi...

I have a quick question I'm not quite understanding.

If I shine some light on a surface, metal or something, and the energy of the incoming wave is larger than the energy-barrier for the electron on the surface, an electron will be emitted.
But my question is, if the incoming photon has the energy of, let's say, 1 ev, and the energy barrier is 0.5 ev, then the light will have twice the amount of energy it needs to emit the electron from the surface. But what happens with the rest then ?

If the barrier is 1.1 ev, nothing will happen, and the photon will just pass through or diffract, right ?
But in this case, will the electron absorb 0.5 ev from the photon, and the re-emit another photon with a changed wavelength that is equal to the left over energy of 0.5 ev ?


Thanks in advance.


Regards
 
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The electron will leave the atom with 0.5 ev of kinectic energy and this electron now become a free electron and this kinectic energy will become heat like the electron moveing in metal.
 
So the electron just get the energy from the photon, minus the work function of the electron, in kinetic energy ?
 
the left energy will become the kinectic energy of electron
 
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