mfb said:In theory, you could wait until all the photo-electrons generate the voltage themself - but that would require so many photo-electrons that it is not practical. In addition, no isolation is perfect (especially with an attached voltmeter), the system would discharge itself.
tomz said:Thanks. After some thinking I guess there is also the problem that not all electrons released have the theoretical maximum energy, so the potential get from a voltmeter will be biased
The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from a material when it is exposed to electromagnetic radiation, such as light.
When a photon of light strikes the surface of a material, it transfers its energy to an electron in the material. If the photon has enough energy, it can break the electron free from the material's surface, resulting in the emission of an electron.
Stopping voltage is the minimum voltage required to stop the emission of electrons in the photoelectric effect. It is the voltage at which the kinetic energy of the emitted electrons is equal to the energy of the photons of light.
To measure stopping voltage, a circuit is set up with a light source, a photocell, and a variable voltage source. The voltage is gradually increased until the emitted electrons are no longer able to reach the positive electrode. The voltage at this point is the stopping voltage.
Measuring stopping voltage allows us to determine the energy of the photons of light that are causing the emission of electrons. This helps us understand the properties of light and the behavior of electrons in different materials.