Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
In the case of a photo electric effect experiment, explain the following facts, giving reasons.
The wave theory of light could not explain the existence of the threshold frequency.
Advertisements
Solution
If light were strictly a wave, the energy in the light would be represented by the amplitude of the light wave. A more intense light source, even if it were of a lower frequency, would have enough energy to knock out electrons away from the metal surface, which is necessary to generate a photoelectric current.
What actually occurs is that the light below a certain threshold frequency does not generate any current, no matter how intense the light is.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Light of frequency 7.21 × 1014 Hz is incident on a metal surface. Electrons with a maximum speed of 6.0 × 105 m/s are ejected from the surface. What is the threshold frequency for photoemission of electrons?
In an experiment on photoelectric effect, light of wavelength 400 nm is incident on a cesium plate at the rate of 5.0 W. The potential of the collector plate is made sufficiently positive with respect to the emitter, so that the current reaches its saturation value. Assuming that on average, one out of every 106 photons is able to eject a photoelectron, find the photocurrent in the circuit.
Answer the following question.
Why is the wave theory of electromagnetic radiation not able to explain the photoelectric effect? How does a photon picture resolve this problem?
For a given frequency of light and a positive plate potential in the set up below, If the intensity of light is increased then ______.

When a beam of 10.6 eV photons of intensity 2.0 W/m2 falls on a platinum surface of area 1.0 × 10-4 m2, only 53% of the incident photons eject photoelectrons. The number of photoelectrons emitted per second is ______.
By when was the wave nature of light well established?
What does greater radiation intensity mean for the electric and magnetic fields in wave theory?
How should the maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons change with increasing intensity, according to wave theory?
Which wave-theory prediction about maximum kinetic energy contradicts the observed features of photoelectric emission?
Which observation cannot be explained by the wave picture of continuous energy absorption?
