Photoelectric Effect: Particle vs. Wave Theory Q&A

fatal1 · Jun 1, 2007

I am having a bit of trouble understanding how a cutoff frequency would support the particle theory of light over the wave theory?

ranger · Jun 1, 2007

What are your thoughts on these questions:

How is the energy of a photon related to its frequency?
What causes the electrons (of a metal for example) to be ejected when light hits it?

fatal1 · Jun 1, 2007

energy of photon would be porportional to its frequency, and I believe it gets ejected when it absorbs the photon's energy

I think I get it now. Because in the wave model, frequency would not effect how much energy the electrons are ejected with...only the intensity of the light would? So it can't explain the cutoff. Right?

ranger · Jun 3, 2007

This website gives a nice little introduction:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C008537/quantum/PhotoelectricEffect.html

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