Dual nature of matter and radiation

What is photoelectric effect? Derive Einstein’s photoelectric equation in terms of maximum kinetic
energy and stopping potential.

Photoelectric effect
When light of suitable frequency falls on a photosensitive surface, electrons in the atoms on the surface absorb
energy of photons and they start coming out of the atoms. This phenomenon is called photoelectric effect. Such
electrons are called photoelectrons and current they constitute is called photocurrent.

Work function
Minimum energy required to remove an electron from a photosensitive surface is called work function. It is
denoted by Wo.

Threshold wavelength
Minimum wavelength of incident radiation below which no ejection of photoelectrons will take place from a
metal surface is called threshold frequency. It is denoted by  o .

Clearly Wo  h o .

If frequency of incident radiation is  (   o ) . Then energy of photon is E  h . Some part of this energy (=
Wo) is used by electron to come out to the metal surface and rest is used to provide kinetic energy to the electron.
Thus, we can write

h  Wo  KE max .........(i)

1 2
 h  Wo  mvmax
2
1 2
 h  h o  mv max
2
Equation (i) is called Einstein’s photoelectric equation.
Further, we can write above equation as

hc hc 1
  mv 2max
 o 2
1 1  1
 hc     mv 2max
  o  2

Here  o is called threshold wavelength.

As we know

1
mv 2max  eVo , where Vo is the stopping potential. Therefore, Einstein’s photoelectric equation becomes
2

h o  Wo  eVo

Thus, we may define stopping potential as the negative potential of the plate 'A' at which the photo electric
current becomes zero. In other words, stopping potential is that value of retarding potential difference between
two plates which is just sufficient to halt the most energetic photo electrons emitted.
Deduce an expression for the de Broglie wavelength of a particle of mass m moving with velocity v.
Hence derive de Broglie wavelength of an electron accelerated through a potential difference of V volts.

Considering photon as an electromagnetic wave of frequency ν , its energy from Planck’s quantum theory is
given by

E  hν

Where h is Planck’s constant. Considering photon as a particle of mass m, the energy associated with it is
given by Einstein’s mass energy relationship as

E  mc 2

From equations (i) and (ii), we get

hv  mc 2
hc
  mc 2
λ
h h
λ 
mc p

According the de Broglie hypothesis, the above equation must be true for material particles like electrons,
protons, neutrons etc. Hence a particle of mass m moving with velocity v must be associated with a matter
wave of wavelength λ given by

h h
λ 
mv p

 p  2m(KE)
and KE  qV

h
λ 
2m(qV)
As, h  6.62  1034 Js
m  9.11 10 31kg
q  1.6  10 19 C
We get
12.27 o
λ AB
V