Photo-electric effect and elementary charge

In summary, the conversation is about designing a lab to determine the elementary charge using a method other than Millikan's oil drop experiment. The idea of incorporating the photoelectric effect is mentioned, but there is uncertainty about how to do it. One possibility is to use the known mass of an electron to make the measurement easier, or to use an ion beam as a negligible factor.
  • #1
Kristine
3
0
I need to design a lab that would determine the elementary charge(charge of an electron). We can not use Millikan's oil drop idea, we have to come up with our own and it has to work. I was thinking of maybe incorporating the photo electric effect but I'm unsure of how to do it.:smile:
 
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  • #2
Are you allowed to use the mass of an electron as a given?
 
  • #3
Yes, that would make it very easy. Just measure deflection of an e-beam.

Alternatively, you could make the electron mass a negligible factor. If you have the means to create an ion beam. I believe there are ion sources of gallium or silicon.

Njorl
 

1. What is the photo-electric effect?

The photo-electric effect is the phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from a material when it is exposed to light or other forms of electromagnetic radiation.

2. How does the photo-electric effect support the particle nature of light?

The photo-electric effect provides evidence that light is composed of particles, or photons, as the emission of electrons occurs in discrete packets of energy rather than a continuous stream.

3. What is the elementary charge?

The elementary charge, denoted as e, is the electric charge carried by a single proton or electron, and is the smallest unit of electric charge.

4. How is the elementary charge related to the photo-electric effect?

The photo-electric effect is directly related to the elementary charge, as the energy of the emitted electrons is determined by the frequency of the incident light and the charge of the electron, e.

5. What is the significance of the photo-electric effect in modern technology?

The photo-electric effect has many practical applications, such as in solar cells and photodiodes, which convert light energy into electrical energy. It is also used in various imaging techniques, such as in digital cameras and X-ray machines.

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