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Einstein
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Can any1 explain this process and why it supposedly only works on metals.
So if the photon energy is great, everything we look at is ejecting electrons?
Einstein said:Can any1 explain this process and why it supposedly only works on metals.
Einstein said:So if the photon energy is great, everything we look at is ejecting electrons?
Dear einstein like you asked why this effect happens only in metals well this happens onlyEinstein said:Can any1 explain this process and why it supposedly only works on metals.
In simple terms, the electrons in good conductors are loosely bound, it therefore takes less energy to liberate these electrons than those in other materials (hence a lower work function). In materials where the electrons are more tightly bound, the work function is so high that the incomming light simply does have sufficient energy to liberate the electrons.richard14 said:Dear einstein like you asked why this effect happens only in metals well this happens only
in metals because of the property of the metal to conduct electricity very good
richard14 said:Dear einstein like you asked why this effect happens only in metals well this happens only
in metals because of the property of the metal to conduct electricity very good
Hootenanny said:In simple terms, the electrons in good conductors are loosely bound, it therefore takes less energy to liberate these electrons than those in other materials (hence a lower work function). In materials where the electrons are more tightly bound, the work function is so high that the incomming light simply does have sufficient energy to liberate the electrons.
ZapperZ said:First of all, this is a rather old question.
Secondly, the photoelectric or photoemission effect in general does not just happen in metals. It can happen in dielectric as well if you have a photon with high enough energy. There are many photoemission studies on metals and insulators. In fact, in RF photoinjectors, we are now using semiconductors as our photocathodes as high quantum efficiency electron sources.
So no, it does not just happen in metals.
Zz.
richard14 said:What is the Photoelectric Effect?
Asked by: Kevin Mcgill
Answer
The photoelectric effect refers to the emission, or ejection, of electrons from the surface of, generally, a metal in response to incident light.
Thank you for the complement; but I don't know anywhere near as much about photoemission (or pretty much anything else) as ZapperZ, as he said he currently researches photoemission. Take note of what Zz is saying, photoemission can happen in non-metals but it is much more likely in metals for the reason both me and Zz have stated above.richard14 said:i have to congratulate you, you know about this subject.
My name is Ricardo if you want to keep in touch i am richard14 in the forum.
ZapperZ said:"GENERALLY in a metal!
Why? Because for within the typical range of visible light, metals have the LOWEST work function, and so, they are the ones most often used.
But the photoelectric effect, or more GENERALLY, photoemission, as defined by the emission of electrons from solids via light, can also be seen from semiconductors and insulators. The parent compound of high-Tc superconductors is a ceramic insulator and many photoemission studies have been done of them. Would you like me to give you exact citation? Here's one example:
http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v74/i6/p964_1
I currently am doing photoemission work on the semiconductor cesium telluride as a high QE photocathode.
Zz.
The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from a material when it is exposed to light or electromagnetic radiation.
The key components of the photoelectric effect are a light source, a metal surface, and an electric field.
The photoelectric effect is significant for metals because it helps to explain their electrical conductivity and the emission of electrons from their surface.
The work function of a metal is the minimum amount of energy required to remove an electron from its surface. It affects the photoelectric effect because if the energy of the incident light is less than the work function, no electrons will be emitted.
The photoelectric effect was one of the key experiments that led to the development of quantum mechanics. It showed that light behaves as both a wave and a particle, challenging the previously held belief that it was only a wave.