Photoelectric Effect
1.Photoelectric effect: -
Photoelectric effect is the process of emitting the
electrons
from the metal surface when the metal surface is exposed
to an electromagnetic radiation of sufficiently high
frequency. For example, ultraviolet light is required in the
case of ejection of electrons from an alkali metal
● The electrons emitted by this effect are called
photoelectrons.
● The current constituted by photoelectrons is known
as photoelectric current.
● Non-metals also show photoelectric effect. Liquids
and gases also show this effect but to a limited extent.
● Each metal has a minimum energy needed for an
electron to be emitted
● This is known as work function,W
● So, for an electron to be emitted, the energy of the
photon, hf, must be greater than the work function,
W.
● The excess energy is the kinetic energy E, of the
emitted.
2.Experimental Setup to study Photoelectric
effect: -
➔Glass transmits only visible and infra-red lights but
not UV light: Quartz transmits UV light.
➔When light of suitable frequency falls on the metallic
cathode,photoelectrons are emitted.
➔These photoelectrons are attracted towards +ve
anode and hence photoelectrons current is
constituted
3.Effect of intensity of incident light on
photoelectric current: -
For a fixed frequency, the photoelectric current increases
linearly with increase in intensity of incident light.
4.Effect of potential on photoelectric current:
For a fixed frequency and intensity of light ,the
photoelectric current increases with increase in positive
potential applied to anode.
➔When all the photoelectrons reach the plate A,
current becomes maximum and is known as
saturation current.
➔Photoelectrons manage to reach the plate on their
own due to cut-off of incident light does not affect the
potential.
➔When the potential is decreased, the current
decreases but does not become zero at zero potential.
➔When negative potential is applied to the plate A w.r.t
C, photoelectric current becomes zero at a particular
value of negative potential called stopping potential .
5.Effect of frequency of incident light
photoelectric current: -
For a fixed intensity of incident light, the photoelectric
current does not depend on the frequency of the incident
light. Because the photoelectric current simply depends on
the number of photoelectrons emitted and in turn, the
number of photons incident and not on the energy of
photons.
6.Effect of frequency of incident light on
stopping potential: -
➔For a fixed intensity of incident light, the
photoelectric current increases and is saturated with
an increase in positive potential applied to the anode.
➔However, the saturation current is the same for
different frequencies of incident lights.
➔When The potential is decreased and taken below
zero, photoelectric current decreases to zero, but at
different stopping potentials for different frequencies.
➔Higher the frequency, higher the stopping potential,
i.e., VS ∝ v.
7.Threshold frequency: -
The graph between stopping potential and frequency does
not pass through the origin. It shows that there is a
minimum value of frequency called threshold frequency
below which photoelectric emission is not possible,
however high the intensity of light may be. It depends on
the nature of the metal emitting photoelectrons.
8.Laws of photoelectric emission: -
➢For a given substance, there is a minimum value of
frequency of incident light called threshold frequency
below which no photoelectric emission is possible,
however, the intensity of incident light may be.
➢The number of photoelectrons emitted per second
(i.e., photoelectric current) is directly proportional to
the intensity of incident light provided the frequency
is above the threshold frequency.
➢The maximum kinetic energy of the photoelectrons is
independent of the intensity of the incident light.
➢The process of emission of photoelectrons is
instantaneous., i.e., as soon as the photon of suitable
frequency falls on the substance, it emits
photoelectrons.
➢The photoelectric emission is one-to-one, i.e., for
every photon of suitable frequency one electron is
emitted.
9.Einstein’s photoelectric equation: -
When a photon of energy hv falls on a metal surface, the
energy of the photon is absorbed by the electron and is
used in two ways:
1.A part of energy is used to overcome the surface
barrier and come out of the metal surface. This part of
the energy is called the ‘work’ function. (ϕ = hv0)
2.The remaining part of the energy is used in giving a
velocity ‘v’ to the emitted photoelectron. This is equal
to the maximum kinetic energy of the photoelectron
2
(½ mv max) where ‘m’ is the mass of the photoelectron.
According to the law of conservation of energy,
2
hv = ½mv max
= hv0 + ½mv
2
½mv max = h(v-v0)
10.Verification of Laws of Photoelectric
Emission based on Einstein's photoelectric
equation: -
2
½mv max = h(v-v0)
2
1.If v < v0, then ½mv max, which is not possible.
Therefore, for photoelectric emission to take place,
v > v0
2.Since the photon emits one electron, the number of
photoelectrons emitted per second is directly
proportional to the intensity of the incident light.
2
3.It is clear that ½mv max is ∝ v as h and v0 are constant.
This shows that K.E. of the photoelectrons is directly
proportional to the frequency of the incident light.
4.Photoelectric emission is due to the collision between
a photon and an electron. As such there cannot be any
significant time lag between the incidence of photon
and emission of photoelectron, i.e., the process is
instantaneous. It is found that the delay is only 8-10
seconds.
11.Applications of photoelectric effect: -
★Automatic fire alarm.
★Automatic burglar alarm.
★Scanners in television transmission.
★Reproduction of sound in cinema film.
★In the paper industry to measure the thickness of
paper.
★To locate holes or flaws in finished goods.
★In astronomy.
★To determine opacity of solids and liquids.
★Automatic switching of street lights.
★To control the temperature of the furnace.
★Light meters used in the cinema industry to check the
light.
12.Bibliography: -
❖www.slideshare.net
❖www.studocu.com
❖www.scribd.com
❖http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu
❖https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1921/einstei
n/facts/
❖Chalise, S., et al. (2018). "Advanced Photoelectric
Effect Experiments with Modern Equipment."
American Journal of Physics, 86(6), 435–440.
❖"Photoelectric Effect and Its Applications." Journal
of Applied Physics, Special Issue on Quantum Physics,
88(3), 2017
