Chapter 3 Photoelectric Effect2

ChaPtE
R
3
:
pHotOElecTri
C EffeCt
SCOPE OF STUDY
5 main sub topics students should learn and understand in this
chapter are :
Effect of intensity and frequency of a light wave on the
photoelectrons produced
Photoelectric current against potential graph
Quantitative study of the equations, work function and
threshold frequency
Photon theory of light
Failure of wave optics in explaining the photoelectric effect
PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
Einsten was led to the quantum theory by his study of the
photo electric effect.
Einstein:
Light is emitted
inthis
packets
or quanta,
photon,
Einstein proposed
a test of
quantum
theorycalled
of light:
each
energy, measurements
E = hf.
Quantitative
on the photoelectric effect.
Most commonly observed phenomena with light can be
explained by waves, but the photoelectric effect suggested a
particle nature of light.
The photoelectric effect was first nvestigated in detail by
German physicists Wilhelm Hallwachs and Phillip Lenard (1886
1900).
It is an experiment that demonstrates the quantized nature of
light.
When applying a monochromatic light to a metal, the electrons
are released from the metals surface.
The phenomenon that when light
shines on a metal surface,
electrons are emitted from the
surface
The attraction of electrons with
the positive ions in the
material of the surface will
cause a potential energy
barrier confines the electrons
inside the material. Hence,
electrons must absorb enough
energy from the incident light
to overcome this barrier.
Example : You can start a current in a circuit just by shining a light on
a metal plate.
PHOTOELECTRIC EXPERIMENT
Einstein was the first who explained the photoelectric effect using
Planks energy quantization concept.
He proposed that the electrons bound to the metal absorbed the photon
energy, E=hf to overcome the bounding barrier and released itself from
the metal surface, and the electrons are accelerated by the electric field
that exists between the anode and cathode to form current in the circuit.
Some of the absorbed photon energy would be used to break away
from the surface, with the remainder of the energy showing up as the
kinetic energy of the electron.
Example :
Figure of Experimental arrangements for

observing the photoelectric effect
A metal plate, P and a small electrode, C are
placed inside an evacuated glass tube (photocell).
two electrodes are connected to an ammeter and a
source of emf.
When photocell is in dark, ammeter reads zero (I =
0A).
When light of sufficiently high frequency illuminates
the plate, the ammeter indicates the current
following in the circuit.
Hallwachs and Lenard realized that the light falling
on the metal surface causes electrons to be emitted
from the cathode.
The electrons emitted due to that effect is called
How it works??
Imagining that electrons ejected from the plate by the impinging
radiation flow across the tube from the plate to the collector, C.
That electrons emit when light shines on a metal surface is consistent
with the electromagnetic (EM) wave theory of light : The electric field
of EM wave exert a force on electrons in the metal eject some of the
electrons.
PHOTOEMISSIVE
A material that can exhibit the
photoelectric effect
PHOTOELECTRONS
The ejected electrons
Photoelectrons are only emitted from a metal surface if the
frequency of the incident radiation exceeds a certain value known as
the threshold frequency of a metal.
Different metals have different threshold frequency. Hence the
threshold frequency is a characteristic of a metal.
THRESHOLD FREQUENCY, fo
The
minimum frequency of incident light which required
to cause the emission of photoelectrons from the metal

surface.
OR
The minimum frequency of light that is
required for electrons to be emitted from the
metal.
When the frequency of the incident light is greater than the
threshold frequency, electrons are emitted from the cathode
with substantial initial speeds.
By reversing the polarity of the battery this has the effect in
reducing the current. The faster electrons will turn back.
When anode is positive, current

flows through the tube, provided
light shines on the cathode
Anode is made gradually more

negative.
Modify the photocell: use
variable voltage source &
reverse the terminals so that
P is positive and C is
negative.
The electrons emitted from P
will be repelled by the
C.
negative
But if thiselectrode
reverse voltage
is small enough, the
fastest electrons will still reach C and there will be
a current in the circuit.
If the reversed voltage is increased, a point is
reached where the current is zero no electrons
have enough kinetic energy to reach C.
This is called the stopping potential or stopping
Stopping Potential or Cutoff Potential, Vo
The negative potential difference
applied to the circuit to make the
current stop
The negative potential of the plate 'C' at which the
photo electric current becomes zero. Stopping potential
is that value of retarding potential difference between
two plates which is just sufficient to halt the most
energetic photo electrons emitted.
The stopping potential is different for different frequencies of light.
The higher the frequency of light, the higher the stopping potential.
The maximum kinetic energy of the electron is related to the
stopping potential through the relationship
*To determine the maximum kinetic energy, K max

from VO, use the conservation of energy :
Loss of kinetic energy = Gain in potential energy
K max = e VO = 1/2mv2
Since the electrons in the metal are held by attractive
forces, some minimum energy called the work function is
required to just get an electron out of the surface.
when radiation falls on a metal surface, the energy of one
photon is given to one electron. If this energy, hf is more
than the work function of the metal, the electron is emitted
as photoelectron. Otherwise, the electron is not emitted.
Einstein proposed the following relation according to the energy
conservation.
W0
= Work function for a metal
Work Function, WO
The minimum energy required
to remove one electron from a metal
surface
# Remember that :
1. It is a property of material.
2. Different materials have different values of work function.
PHOTOELECTRIC
EFFECT
According to Einsteins theory, an electron is ejected from
the metal by a collision with a single photon.
Electrons are held in the metal by attractive forces, some

minimum energy, WO is required just to get an electron out
through the surface.
One photon can remove one electron from a metal surface
when the energy of photon is equal or greater than :
If hf < Wo , the photons will not have enough energy to
eject any electrons at all.
If hf Wo , electrons will be ejected and energy will be
conserved in the process. This will come out equation :
hf
=K+W
If the least bound electrons,
hf = Kmax + Wo
W0 = hf0
Hence, the work function, can also be written as:
Example 1
The photoelectron is released with a maximum speed 5 x 105 ms-1 from a metal
surface when a light of frequency 10 x 1014 Hz is emitted to the surface. What is
the threshold frequency of the surface?
Example 2
Blue light with a wavelength of 436 nm is directed at a metallic surface (cesium) with
a work function of 1.95 eV. Calculate:
a) The maximum kinetic energy, in joules, of the emitted electrons.
b) Their maximum speed.
c) Their stopping potential necessary to stop these electrons.
[ 1 eV = 1.6 x 10-19 J ]
Historically, light has sometimes been viewed as a particle rather
than a wave.
Einstein pointed out the wave theory and the photon theory of light
give different predictions of the photoelectric effects.
Two important properties of light wave are its intensity and its
frequency (or wavelength).
Effect of intensity and frequency of a light wave on the
photoelectron produced is described on wave theory predictions and
photon theory predictions.
Wave Theory Predictions
If light is a wave, theory predicts:
1. If the light intensity increase, the number of electrons
ejected and their maximum kinetic energy increase.
Because the higher intensity means a greater electric
field amplitude and the greater electric field should eject
electrons with higher speed.
2. The frequency of light not affect the kinetic energy of the
ejected electrons.
Photon Theory Predictions
If light is particles, theory predicts:
Increasing intensity increases number of electrons but not
energy.
Above a minimum energy required to break atomic bond,
kinetic energy will increase linearly with frequency.
There is a cutoff frequency below which no electrons will be
emitted, regardless of intensity.
If we draw the photo electric curve by plotting the photo electric
current 'I' verses the accelerating voltage 'V', the graph so obtained is
shown below.
Graph shows that there is a saturation current for different
intensities and even when V=0, there is some photo electric
current io.
The curve shows that the stopping potential is independent of the
intensity of radiation.
I
At intensity III
At intensity II
At intensity I
i
Vo
Saturation current
If these curves are plotted for different frequencies V1 and V2 but
with same intensity, the curve shows the behavior as shown.
The saturation current depends upon intensity and not on frequency.

However, the stopping potential becomes more negative from (Vo)1
to (Vo)2 with the increase in frequency.
I
Constant intensity
Saturation
current
(Vo )2 (Vo )1
Some of the significant findings of the
photoelectric experiment
The number of photo electrons depends upon:
The nature of material
The frequency of incident radiation
The intensity of incident radiation
Potential difference b/w the electrons
Photon Theory of Light
According to Einstein, there are three basic or fundamental
dimensions to be considered, when studying the Photon Theory of
Light.
1) Intensity: The property of intensity that the light displays is related
to
the
subject's
perception
of
the
brightness
of
the
light.
2) Frequency: The property of frequency that is displayed and

observed
is
actually
the
color
of
the
light
perceived.
3) Polarization: Contrary to the other two, the property of polarization

of
the
light
observed
ordinary circumstances.
is
only
weakly
perceptible,
under
Einstein suggested that, given the success of Plancks theory, light
must be emitted in small energy packets:
.
These tiny packets, or particles, are called

photons.
Example 3
Calculate the energy of a photon of blue light.
Given that the wavelength of blue light is 436 nm.
Brighter light causes an increase in current (more electrons
ejected) but does not cause the individual electrons to gain
higher energies. In other words, the maximum kinetic energy
of the electrons is independent on the intensity of the light.
Classically, more intense light has larger amplitude EM field
and thus delivers more energy. That should not only enable a
larger number of electrons to escape from the metal; it
should also enable the electrons emitted to have more
kinetic energy.
The maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons does
depend on the frequency of the incident radiation. Thus, if
the incident light is very dim (low intensity) but high in
frequency, electrons with large kinetic energies are released.
For a given metal, there is a threshold frequency. If the
frequency of the incident light is below the threshold, no
electrons are emitted no matter what the intensity of the
incident light. Again, classical physics has no explanation for
the frequency dependence.
When EM radiation falls on the metal, electrons are emitted
virtually instantaneously; the time delay observed
experimentally is about 10-9 s, regardless of the light
intensity. If the EM radiation, behaves as a classical wave, its
energy is evenly distributed across the wavefronts. If the
intensity of the light is low, it should take some time for
enough energy to accumulate on a particular spot to liberate
an electron. Experiments have used intensities so low that,

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ChaPtE

Figure of Experimental arrangements for

minimum frequency of incident light which required

to cause the emission of photoelectrons from the metal

When anode is positive, current

Anode is made gradually more

*To determine the maximum kinetic energy, K max

= Work function for a metal

Electrons are held in the metal by attractive forces, some

Hence, the work function, can also be written as:

The saturation current depends upon intensity and not on frequency.

2) Frequency: The property of frequency that is displayed and

3) Polarization: Contrary to the other two, the property of polarization

These tiny packets, or particles, are called

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