PhysicsCode 9702
Photoelectric effect
What this topic asks you to be able to do
- understand that a metal surface can release photoelectrons when electromagnetic radiation falls on it
- understand what the threshold frequency and the threshold wavelength are, and use both terms
- account for photoelectric emission by reference to photon energy and work function energy
- state and apply hf = Φ + 1/2 mvmax²
- account for why the maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons does not depend on intensity, in contrast to the photoelectric current, which is proportional to intensity