Can I Convert Volts to Electron Volts in Photoelectric Effect Calculations?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on converting volts (V) to electron volts (eV) in the context of the photoelectric effect. The participant is tasked with calculating the incident light frequency given a stopping potential of 3V and a work function. The equation used is Emax = hfinc - φ, where Emax represents the kinetic energy of the photoelectron. It is established that while volts measure electric potential, electron volts are a unit of energy, and the conversion requires multiplying volts by the elementary charge (e).

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the photoelectric effect and its equations
  • Familiarity with energy units, specifically joules (J) and electron volts (eV)
  • Knowledge of the relationship between electric potential and kinetic energy
  • Basic grasp of quantum mechanics principles related to photons and electrons
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the conversion formula between volts and electron volts, specifically V to eV using the elementary charge (e).
  • Study the derivation of the photoelectric effect equation Emax = hfinc - φ.
  • Explore the implications of electric potential in the context of kinetic energy in electric fields.
  • Learn about the work function and its role in the photoelectric effect calculations.
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, particularly those focusing on quantum mechanics and the photoelectric effect, as well as educators looking to clarify concepts related to energy units and electric potential.

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Homework Statement


HI, I have this photoelectric effect problem, it is not so difficult but when i got to the units and red about it , i got confused.
The Problem : Photo-electrons are completely hold up by electric potential with potential of 3V. The work function is given. I have to calculate the incident light frequency.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


So the equation is
Emax=hfinc-φ

And the units are
[V]=[J]-[J]
This does not work. So I thought let's convert them to eV which is possible for [J].
But when I start to think about the V -> eV its gets confusing because V are not measurement of energy but eV are.

So what do you think guys, can I just do the conversion from [v] to [ev] by multiplying V by e or it is wrong?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Emax does not denote the stopping potential, but the kinetic energy of a photoelectron. You need to find the relationship between electric potential and energy of a charge in a field.
 

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