Exploring the Photoelectric Effect: Electron Emission from Metal Surfaces

[expscv]

it state electron will be released from a metal surface if exposed to electromagnetic


so i was thinking on a sunny day, a particular metal exposed to sun light one of the emf,, would the electron start to fly off the surface?

if it does,? isn't this radiation? or it is un-notice-able?

thx

 

[Chi Meson]

it state electron will be released from a metal surface if exposed to electromagnetic


so i was thinking on a sunny day, a particular metal exposed to sun light one of the emf,, would the electron start to fly off the surface?

if it does,? isn't this radiation? or it is un-notice-able?

thx

"one of the emf..."" no sense.

I'm guessing what you are asking, is does the photoelectric effect cause electrons to spray off of a metal if it is left out on a sunny day?

Yes and no.

THe photoelectric effect would indeed cause electrons to receive the energy required to "escape" the piece of metal, but once the electron leaves, then the metal will have a net positive charge, and the electron will of course be negatively charged. THe next electron would have to receive even more energy to escape the metal that is now already positively charged, the third electron even more, etc etc. So after a very short while there will no longer be any electrons emitted because there would be too much electrostatic attraction for an electron to overcome (I don't know how many electrons, thousands? millions?) and the effect would stop.

It would be hard to detect this current, since even millions of electrons flowing per second is only one trillionth of an amp. One way to see evidence of this effect is to expose zinc that has been negatively charged to direct sunlight. Using an electroscope you can see the charge leaks off the zinc much faster than without sunlight. Evidently, a strong UV lamp can cause the zinc to show a positive charge after it loses lots of photoelectrons (you need a sesitive electroscope, I never got this to work)

No matter what, you would not SEE any visual effect of radiation of any sort.

 

[Graeme Robinson]

The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon where electrons are emitted from a metal surface when it is exposed to electromagnetic radiation, such as light. This is because the energy from the radiation is absorbed by the electrons in the metal, causing them to gain enough energy to overcome the attractive forces holding them in the metal and be released into the surrounding space.

On a sunny day, if a metal surface is exposed to sunlight, the photons from the sunlight will interact with the electrons in the metal and cause them to be emitted. This is essentially the same process as the photoelectric effect. However, the amount of electron emission will depend on the intensity and frequency of the light. If the light is not intense enough or does not have a high enough frequency, the electrons may not gain enough energy to be released.

In terms of radiation, the photoelectric effect does involve the absorption and emission of radiation, but it is not harmful radiation like nuclear radiation. It is simply the transfer of energy from the electromagnetic radiation to the electrons in the metal.

I hope this helps clarify any confusion you may have about the photoelectric effect. It is a fascinating phenomenon that has many practical applications, such as in solar panels and photodiodes.