Name: Tharunya Bala S

Reg. No.: 21BCE0076

ADVANCED MATERIAL ANALYSIS

THROUGH QUANTUM PHYSICS
Apparatus Required:

 Photoelectric equipments, filters

Aim:
Determination of Planck’s Constant
Determination of ‘Work-function’ of given metal
Study of Photoelectric Effect

Theory:
Hertz noticed a spark between the two metallic balls when a high frequency radiation incident
on it. This is called photoelectric effect. Photoelectric effect is the emission of electrons when
electromagnetic radiations having sufficient frequency incident on certain metal surfaces. We
call the emitted electrons as photoelectrons and the current they constitute as photocurrent.
The phenomenon was first observed by Heinrich Hertz in 1880 and explained by Albert Einstein
in 1905 using Max Planck's quantum theory of light. As the first experiment which
demonstrated the quantum theory of energy levels, photoelectric effect experiment is of great
historical importance.

It has been observed that there must be a minimum energy needed for electrons to escape
from a particular metal surface and is called work function 'W' for that metal. The work
function can be expressed in terms of frequency as,

𝑤 = ℎ v0
ℎ = Plank Constant

W = Work Function

𝜈0 = Threshold Frequency
 Metal Work function (eV)
Pt 6.4
Ag 4.7
Na 2.3
K 2.2
Cs 1.9

ℎ = 𝐾𝐸 + 𝑊

ℎ = 𝑒𝑉𝑠 + 𝑊
ℎ 𝖶
𝑉𝑠 = − − −
𝑒 𝑒

Formula Used:
 Calculations:
Frequency ( f ) = c / f
f1 = 3 x 108 / 460 x 10-9 = 6.5 x 1014 Hz
f2 = 3 x 108 / 500 x 10-9 = 6 x 1014 Hz
f3 = 3 x 108 / 540 x 10-9 = 5.6 x 1014 Hz
f4 = 3 x 108 / 570 x 10-9 = 5.3 x 1014 Hz
f5 = 3 x 108 / 635 x 10-9 = 4.7 x 1014 Hz

Observation Table:
S.No. Incident Photon Frequency (Hz)
wavelength (nm) Stopping Potential(V)

1 460 6.5 x 1014 -1.06

2 500 6 x 1014 -0.87
3 540 5.6 x 1014 -0.57
4 570 5.3 x 1014 -0.37
5 635 4.7 x 1014 -0.24

From the Graph:

Percentage error:

Planck’s Constant value in Joule’s:

6.928 x 10-34 Joule sec

From the Graph:

Work function of the metal is 1.9 eV, therefore the metal used is Caesium (Cs).
Graph:
Result:
Work-function of given metal : 2.2 eV
Metal Used : Caesium (Cs)
Planck's Constant : 4.33 x 10-15 eV/Hz
Planck’s Constant value in Joule’s : 6.928 x 10-34 Joule sec