What is the minimum frequency of light required to eject electrons from a metal surface in the photoelectric effect?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the minimum frequency of light required to eject electrons from a metal surface in the photoelectric effect?
It depends on the intensity of light
It is constant for all metals
It depends on the work function of the metal
It is equal to the energy of the incident photons
The minimum frequency required to eject electrons is determined by the work function of the metal, given by the equation E = hf, where E is the work function, h is Planck's constant, and f is the frequency.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: What is the minimum frequency of light required to eject electrons from a metal surface in the photoelectric effect?
Solution: The minimum frequency required to eject electrons is determined by the work function of the metal, given by the equation E = hf, where E is the work function, h is Planck's constant, and f is the frequency.
Steps: 7
Step 1: Understand that the photoelectric effect is when light hits a metal surface and can cause electrons to be ejected.
Step 2: Know that each metal has a specific energy level needed to release electrons, called the work function (E).
Step 3: Learn the equation that relates the work function to the frequency of light: E = hf.
Step 4: Identify that 'h' is Planck's constant, which is a specific number (approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 Joule seconds).
Step 5: Rearrange the equation to find the frequency (f): f = E/h.
Step 6: To find the minimum frequency needed to eject electrons, you need to know the work function of the specific metal.
Step 7: Plug the work function value into the rearranged equation to calculate the minimum frequency.