Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
(a) Estimate the speed with which electrons emitted from a heated emitter of an evacuated tube impinge on the collector maintained at a potential difference of 500 V with respect to the emitter. Ignore the small initial speeds of the electrons. The specific charge of the electron, i.e., its e/m is given to be 1.76 × 1011 C kg−1.
(b) Use the same formula you employ in (a) to obtain electron speed for an collector potential of 10 MV. Do you see what is wrong? In what way is the formula to be modified?
Advertisements
Solution
(a) Potential difference across the evacuated tube, V = 500 V
Specific charge of an electron, e/m = 1.76 × 1011 C kg−1
The speed of each emitted electron is given by the relation for kinetic energy as:
`"KE" = 1/2 "mv"^2 = "eV"`
∴ v = `((2"eV")/"m")^(1/2) = (2"V" xx "e"/"m")^(1/2)`
= `(2 xx 500 xx 1.76 xx 10^11)^(1/2)`
= 1.327 × 107 m/s
Therefore, the speed of each emitted electron is 1.327 × 107 m/s.
(b) Potential of the anode, V = 10 MV = 10 × 106 V
The speed of each electron is given as:
v = `(2"V" "e"/"m")^(1/2)`
= `(2 xx 10^7 xx 1.76 xx 10^11)^(1/2)`
= 1.88 × 109 m/s
This result is wrong because nothing can move faster than light. In the above formula, the expression (mv2/2) for energy can only be used in the non-relativistic limit, i.e., for v << c.
For very high-speed problems, relativistic equations must be considered for solving them. In the relativistic limit, the total energy is given as:
E = mc2
Where,
m = Relativistic mass
= `"m"_0 (1 - "v"^2/"c"^2)^(1/2)`
m0 = Mass of the particle at rest
Kinetic energy is given as:
K = mc2 − m0c2
RELATED QUESTIONS
Use the same formula you employ in (a) to obtain electron speed for an collector potential of 10 MV. Do you see what is wrong? In what way is the formula to be modified?
A mercury lamp is a convenient source for studying frequency dependence of photoelectric emission, since it gives a number of spectral lines ranging from the UV to the red end of the visible spectrum. In our experiment with rubidium photo-cell, the following lines from a mercury source were used:
λ1 = 3650 Å, λ2 = 4047 Å, λ3 = 4358 Å, λ4 = 5461 Å, λ5 = 6907 Å,
The stopping voltages, respectively, were measured to be:
V01 = 1.28 V, V02 = 0.95 V, V03 = 0.74 V, V04 = 0.16 V, V05 = 0 V
Determine the value of Planck’s constant h, the threshold frequency and work function for the material.
[Note: You will notice that to get h from the data, you will need to know e (which you can take to be 1.6 × 10−19 C). Experiments of this kind on Na, Li, K, etc. were performed by Millikan, who, using his own value of e (from the oil-drop experiment) confirmed Einstein’s photoelectric equation and at the same time gave an independent estimate of the value of h.]
Every metal has a definite work function. Why do all photoelectrons not come out with the same energy if incident radiation is monochromatic? Why is there an energy distribution of photoelectrons?
Draw graphs showing variation of photoelectric current with applied voltage for two incident radiations of equal frequency and different intensities. Mark the graph for the radiation of higher intensity.
Can we find the mass of a photon by the definition p = mv?
What is the speed of a photon with respect to another photon if (a) the two photons are going in the same direction and (b) they are going in opposite directions?
In which of the following situations, the heavier of the two particles has smaller de Broglie wavelength? The two particles
(a) move with the same speed
(b) move with the same linear momentum
(c) move with the same kinetic energy
(d) have fallen through the same height
An atom absorbs a photon of wavelength 500 nm and emits another photon of wavelength 700 nm. Find the net energy absorbed by the atom in the process.
(Use h = 6.63 × 10-34J-s = 4.14 × 10-15 eV-s, c = 3 × 108 m/s and me = 9.1 × 10-31kg)
A sphere of radius 1.00 cm is placed in the path of a parallel beam of light of large aperture. The intensity of the light is 0.5 W cm−2. If the sphere completely absorbs the radiation falling on it, Show that the force on the sphere due to the light falling on it is the same even if the sphere is not perfectly absorbing.
Find the maximum kinetic energy of the photoelectrons ejected when light of wavelength 350 nm is incident on a cesium surface. Work function of cesium = 1.9 eV
(Use h = 6.63 × 10-34J-s = 4.14 × 10-15 eV-s, c = 3 × 108 m/s and me = 9.1 × 10-31kg)
The work function of a metal is 2.5 × 10−19 J. (a) Find the threshold frequency for photoelectric emission. (b) If the metal is exposed to a light beam of frequency 6.0 × 1014 Hz, what will be the stopping potential?
(Use h = 6.63 × 10-34J-s = 4.14 × 10-15 eV-s, c = 3 × 108 m/s and me = 9.1 × 10-31kg)
Find the maximum magnitude of the linear momentum of a photoelectron emitted when a wavelength of 400 nm falls on a metal with work function 2.5 eV.
(Use h = 6.63 × 10-34J-s = 4.14 × 10-15 eV-s, c = 3 × 108 m/s and me = 9.1 × 10-31kg)
The figure is the plot of stopping potential versus the frequency of the light used in an experiment on photoelectric effect. Find (a) the ratio h/e and (b) the work function.

In the case of photoelectric effect experiment, explain the following facts, giving reasons.
The photoelectric current increases with increase of intensity of incident light.
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions.
| The figure shows the variation of photoelectric current measured in a photocell circuit as a function of the potential difference between the plates of the photocell when light beams A, B, C and D of different wavelengths are incident on the photocell. Examine the given figure and answer the following questions: |

- Which light beam has the highest frequency and why?
- Which light beam has the longest wavelength and why?
- Which light beam ejects photoelectrons with maximum momentum and why?
How would the stopping potential for a given photosensitive surface change if the frequency of the incident radiation were increased? Justify your answer.
Plot a graph showing the variation of photoelectric current, as a function of anode potential for two light beams having the same frequency but different intensities I1 and I2 (I1 > I2). Mention its important features.
- Assertion (A): For the radiation of a frequency greater than the threshold frequency, the photoelectric current is proportional to the intensity of the radiation.
- Reason (R): Greater the number of energy quanta available, the greater the number of electrons absorbing the energy quanta and the greater the number of electrons coming out of the metal.
What is the effect of threshold frequency and stopping potential on increasing the frequency of the incident beam of light? Justify your answer.
