Everything Science Grade 12

CHAPTER 16. OPTICAL PHENOMENA; PROPERTIES OF MATTER 16.3

Increasing the intensityof the light (i.e. makingit brighter) did not change the wave-
length of the light and therefore the electrons would be emitted with the same kinetic
energy as before! This solved the paradox and showed that light has both a wave nature
and a particle nature. Einstein won the Nobel Prize for this quantumtheory and his
explanation of the photoelectric effect.

Increasing the intensityof the light actually means increasing the number of incident
photons. Therefore, since each photon only givesenergy to one electron, more incident
photons means more electrons would be knocked out of the metal,but their kinetic
energies would be the same as before.

Incoming radiation

Sea of electrons

inside the metal

Electrons knocked out

waiting to be set free

Figure 16.2: The photoelectric effect: Incoming photons on the left hit the electrons
inside the metal surface. The electrons absorbthe energy from the photons, and are
ejected from the metal surface.

FACT

The photoelectric effect

was first observed in the

experiments of Heinrich

Hertz in 1887. In 1899

J.J. Thomson proved that

it was electrons that

were emitted. The pho-

toelectric effect was the-

oretically explained by

Albert Einstein in 1905.

See simulation: VPpyy at http://www.everythingscience.co.za)

The discovery and understanding of the photoelectric effect was one of the major break-
throughs in science inthe twentieth century as it provided concrete evidence of the
particle nature of light. It overturned previouslyheld views that light was composed
purely of a continuoustransverse wave. On the one hand, the wave nature is a good
description of phenomena such as diffraction and interference for light, and on the
other hand, the photoelectric effect demonstrates the particle nature of light. This is
now known as the ‘dual-nature’ of light. (dual means two)

While solving problemswe need to decide for ourselves whether we should consider
the wave property or the particle property of light. For example, whendealing with
interference and diffraction, light should be treated as a wave, whereaswhen dealing
with photoelectric effect we consider the particle nature.

Applications of the photoelectric ef-

fect

ESCHG

We have learnt that a metal contains electrons that are free to move between the valence
and conduction bands.When a photon strikesthe surface of a metal,it gives all its
energy to one electron in the metal.

• If the photon energy is equal to the energy betweentwo energy levels thenthe
  electron is excited to thehigher energy level.