Class notes on photoelectric effect:

When light hits a metal surface it can produce an electric potential.

This phenomenon is called a photoelectric effect. This concept is used
to generate electricity directly from the energy of light. Solar Panels
use this concept in full effect to charge the batteries of the calculators,
as a source of power supply in traffic lights and also used as the source
of light to light up our homes. Solar energy is one of the reliable sources
of energy and it is the largest source of energy on planet earth. The use
of solar energy helps in cutting down power costs and to have a
healthier environment.

Light of a sufficiently small wavelength can have enough energy to

knock out some electrons from a metal surface. This is known as the
photoelectric effect. In many ways, this is the opposite of atomic
spectral emission where electrons from higher energy states lose
energy and emit light. In the photoelectric effect, if a photon of light has
sufficient energy, it can raise the electron to a higher energy level and
even let it escape the atom’s grasp; in other words, emit an electron.
When this happens, a potential difference develops between the atom
and the electron, enabling us to use this effect to generate electricity.