The Photoelectric Effect

The photoelectric effect was first observed when UV and visible light were both
fired at different metals, which were found to occasionally release electrons.
Einstein won a Noble Prize on his work researching the Photoelectric Effect. The
phenomenon is called the photoelectric effect, where the energy from the
packets of light named Photons gets given to the electrons in the metal. If this
energy is high enough, depending on the frequency of the light, photoelectrons
are released.
H (Planks constant) f (frequency of light) = Work Function (The minimum energy
required to release electrons from the surface of a certain metal) + mv 2MAX
(Maximum kinetic energy of released electrons.)

The photoelectric effect can be demonstrated through a negatively charged

metal plate on top of a nano-coulombmeter. If visible light is shone directly at a
zinc plate, the zinc does not discharge and the nano-coulombmeter stays the
same, however even if a weak UV light is shone onto it, it begins to discharge
immediately.
The intensity of a light source depends on both the number of packets of energy,
and the energy associated with each packet or quantum. However intense a
visible light source may be, the energy of each individual one of these packets
will not be able to liberate an electron, as one photon releases one electron.

Joshua Higginson

In the next diagram shown, a clean zinc plate is fitted to the top of a gold leaf
electroscope and then given a positive charge. The next thing is to shine some
radiation on it, using an ordinary lamp, a helium-neon laser (giving out intense
red light) or an ultra violet light has absolutely no effect. The electroscope stays
charged and the leaf stays up. However if the plate is given a negative charge to
start with (using say a charged polythene rod) there is a difference. Using the
lamp and even the laser has no
effect, but when ultra violet light is
shone on the plate the leaf falls
immediately, the electroscope has
been discharged. (Doing the
experiment in a vacuum proves that
it
is not ions in the air that are causing
the discharge.)
No effect can be produced with
radiation of longer wavelength (lower frequency and smaller energy) no matter
how long the radiation is shone on the plate.

Joshua Higginson