PHOTO ELECTRIC EFFECT

February 2, 2023

Photoelectric effect was discovered by Heinrich Hertz in the year of 1887.

1 OVERVIEW
It is a phenomenon in which when a ray of light is incident on the surface of a
metal,the electrons are ejected out of the surface of the metal.The following
two cases are observed in case of photoelectric effect:

CASE 1: If the frequency of the light which is incident on the surface of a

metal is less than the characteristic frequency of the metal, also known as the
threshold frequency, then no emission of photo electrons will take place

CASE 2: If the frequency of the light incident on the surface of the metal is
more than the threshold frequency of the metal , then the emission of photo
electrons takes place and , a kinetic energy is also gained by the emitted
electrons.

The above two cases can be explained with the help of equation given below:

Hν = ϕ + KE(emittedelectron)

In the above formula: Hν=Energy of the incident light. ϕ=Work function of

the metal.
KE=Kinetic energy of the emitted electron.

Before we dive further into the details of the photoelectric effect, we need to
look at the term stopping potential and understand it thoroughly.

The potential at which the electron possessing the maximum kinetic energy
also stops or the potential which is enough to reject even the most energetic
photo electrons with the highest kinetic energy such that the photoelectric

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current becomes zero is called the stopping potential explained by the
following formula:

KE=e*v, where e=charge on electron and v is the stopping potential.

2 EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF
PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
2.1 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

In the above diagram , the metal plate C is the cathode and A is the anode,
are the two plates taken in an evacuated glass tube .The plate C acts as an
emitter and the plate A acts as the collector.A monochromatic light is made to
fall on the cathode through the quartz window.A potential difference is
maintained between the cathode and the anode through a battery.

2.2 OBSERVATIONS

1. As soon as the light is incident,photo electrons are emitted from C.

2. plate A attracts the photo electrons.
3. Due to the emission of photo electrons , the current starts flowing in the
circuit.

2.3 VARIOUS PARAMETERS ON WHICH THE

PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT DEPENDS UPON
ARE:
1. Effect of frequency:if we start our experiment from the smallest value of
frequency of incident light, then it is observed that, until a specific fre-
quency is reached, no current is produced.

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2. Effect of intensity and potential difference:Photoelectric current produced
is directly proportional to the intensity of the light incident on it and the
P.D.The value of I beyond which it wont’t further change on increasing the
potential and would remain constant is called the saturation current