CK-12-Physics - Intermediate

23.3. Wave-Particle Duality http://www.ck12.org

According to the photoelectric effect, the maximum kinetic energyKEmaxof the electrons ejected from a

material is

KEmax=h f−Wo

wherefis the frequency of the light incident upon the material andWois thework functionof the material :

the minimum energy needed to overcome the electrical forces that hold an electron within the material

Wo=h fo

The frequency focorresponds to the minimum (threshold) frequency of light necessary to eject a photoelec-

tron.

2. The De Broglie equation for the wavelength of matter waves is

λ=

h

mv

wheremis the mass of a particle,vits velocity andλits associated wavelength.