Planck’s Constant Derivation

Planck's constant, denoted by h, is a fundamental constant of nature that relates the

energy of a photon to its frequency. It is one of the most important physical constants in
quantum mechanics.

The value of Planck's constant can be derived from the photoelectric effect experiment.
This experiment showed that when a metal surface is illuminated with light of a certain
frequency, electrons are ejected from the surface. The energy of the electrons depends
on the frequency of the light, and not on its intensity.

In 1900, Max Planck proposed that the energy of a photon is proportional to its
frequency, and that the constant of proportionality is Planck's constant. This relationship
is expressed by the equation:

E = hf

where E is the energy of a photon, h is Planck's constant, and f is the frequency of the
photon.

To determine the value of Planck's constant, the energy of a photon needs to be

measured at a known frequency. This can be done using a device called a
spectrophotometer, which measures the intensity of light at different frequencies.

Using this technique, the value of Planck's constant has been determined to be
approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 joule-seconds. This value has been confirmed by
numerous experiments and is considered one of the most accurately measured physical
constants.