Physics At work – Unit 02 –Nature of Light

By Saman Poonehela

i. Radiation Flux φ or Intensity I

If Light (Radiation Energy ) is falling on a surface as shown

Radiation Energy ( Light )

Cross sectional area A

Power
Radiation Flux =
Perpendicular Cross Sectional Area

Power in watt “W”

Radiation Flux “Wm-2”

Area in “m2”

Eg: 1. Find out radiation flux intensity if the radiation power of 100W is falling on a surface

a) Perpendicular to it
b) At an angle 300 with surface

2. A 60 W bulb is hanging 1.75 m above a reading table . Work out the light intensity falling on
the table at a point directly below the bulb.

3. A 40 W incandescent lamp is hanging 1 m above a reading table.

a)Work out the light intensity falling on the table at a point directly below the lamp if the
efficiency of the lamp is 5%.

b)LED lamp with same watt rating is having 40% efficiency. Work out the light intensity falling
on the table at a point directly below the lamp if it is LED.

c)Suggest why some countries plans to ban incandescent lamps.

ii. Electron Volt eV

To measure small amount of energy associated with elementary particles a new unit is defined as “ Electron
Volt”.

1 eV = 1.6x10-19 J

1
Eg: 1. Find out following energies in eV

a) 12 J
b) 2.3 x 10-19 J
c) 4.5 x 10 – 24 J

2. Electron in the 2s shell of He atom is having -2.8 eV compared to a free electron. What is its energy in
Joules.

3. Electron in Na atom jumps from energy level 3.4 eV to 5.6 eV.Find out the enrgy radiated outward in
joules.

iii. Nature of Light -Photon

Light was assumed to be made of tiny particles ( corpuscles ) by ancient Greeks. Later it was considered to be
a wave as particle theory couldn’t explain diffraction , refraction and interference of light. But it couldn’t
explained the phenomena ‘Photo Electricity’ .

Now light and all elementary particles are considered to have both Particle & Wave nature at the same time.
Theycan be considered as a particles made of a packet of waves ( a Wavicle). This phenomena is called wave
particle duality.

A wavicle of light is called a Photon. It is a massless particle with a given amount ( discrete quanta) of energy.

Energy of a photon change with the frequency ( or wavelength ) of light. Energy can be calculated from

E=h f

Where h is called Planck’s constant & h = 6.63 x10-34 Js

Eg: Find out energy of a photon in light waves with in eV

a) Frequency 7 x 10 14 Hz
b) Frequency 8.9 x 10 16 Hz
c) Wave length 640 nm (Red)
Wave length 350 nm ( Yellow Green)

iv. Gold Leaf Electroscope

We use gold leaf electroscope to measure electrostatic charges.

With initially No Charge

2
 With initially positively charged

With initially negatively charged

v. Energy Level diagram

Electrons in orbits around nucleus can only have certain values (discrete quanta) of energy. For different type of
atoms they have different values for the same orbit ( shell, energy level).

Energy can only be emitted or absorbed ( when electrons jumps) in amount that corresponds to the differences
between these allowed values.

3
4
Note on an energy level diagram

 Energies are measured relative to a zero that represents the energy of an electron at rest outside
an atom ( free electron)
 Orbiting electrons have less energies than a free electron, so negative energy.
 Electron with minimal possible energy is in the ground state.
 Higher energy levels are called excited states

When an electron moves from energy level E 1 to a lower level E2, energy is
emitted in the form of photon. Its energy is given by

hf = E1- E2

Eg : 1. An electron in hydrogen atom moves from ground state ( -13.6 eV)to excited state ( -1.5 eV). Calculate
the a)Energy difference in Joules b) frequency of the photon absorbed c) wavelength

2. An electron in hydrogen atom emits its energy in the form of photon while moving from n=6 to n=3.
Work out the frequency & wavelength of emitted photon.

vi. Spectras

vii. Photo Electricity

When a metal surface is exposed to light radiation followings were observed.

 Free electrons were produced on the surface. They are called photoelectrons.

 Amount of photo electrons produced increased as the intensity of exposed light increased.

 If the frequency is below a frequency called Threshold Frequency ( fo) no photo electrons were
produced even when the intensity of exposed light increased.

 Photo electrons had a range of kinetic energies ( with zero one to with one with Maximum Energy
KEmax or ½ mv2 max)

5
When metal surface is exposed to light, energy of light is absorbed by the electrons inside the atoms of
metal surface. They can jump out of the metal surface and become free electrons.To make the jump electron
should get the corresponding discrete quanta of energy associated with jump.

If wave model is correct light is a continuous wave with energy. Even if the frequency is below f 0 , by
exposing metal surface for a longer time electron should be able to acquire energy quanta & make jump. But
this doesn’t happen.

If light is assume a particle with discrete quanta of energy ( photon ) , this could be explained. As energy of
a photon depend on frequency, when below f0 photon is not having the quanta of energy needed to make
jump. Therefore no photo electrons.

KE max/eV

F0/Hz
F0

Consider a metal surface with a positive voltage applied to it. When exposed to light, energy in photons are
absorbed by electrons and become free (photo) electrons.

For a single photo electron

[ Energy of Photon ] = work done overcome ¿ surface attraction ¿ + work done overcome ¿ positive surface voltage ¿
[ ][ ]
¿ ¿

1
hf =[ φ ] + [ e V surface ] + [ 2
m v2 ]
Work Function 𝜑

Minimum amount of energy needed to escape from surface. Vary for different metal surfaces. When
electron become a free electron to come out of the surface , it has to overcome attraction of atoms near
surface.

Work done to overcome surface positive voltage

Electrons have to do additional work to overcome positive attraction of surface potential. it can be
calculated from w=Qv

Work done = charge of the electron x voltage = eV surface where e =1.6 x 10-19 C

If V surface = o ( no voltage applied ), work done =o

Increased in KE
6
Rest of the energy remaining goes to increase the KE of the photo electron.

For the photo electron with maximum KE

1
hf =[ φ ] + [ e V surface ] + [ 2
m v2 ]
max

If V surface = o ( no voltage applied )

1
Einstien Equation hf =[ φ ] +o+ [ 2
mv 2 ] max

KE max/eV

f0/Hz
F0

1
Eg : 1. Einstien equation for photoelectric emission is hf =[ φ ] +o+ [ 2
mv 2 ] max

a) State meaning of each term

b) What is the significance of subscript ‘max’
c) EM radiation of the frequency 2.02 x 1015 Hz is directed at a metal surface. Maximum KE of the
electrons emitted is 4.05 x10-19 J . Intensity of the radiation is 4.5 µWm-2. Calculate
i) Energy of each photon
ii) Number of photon reaching the surface each second if the area is 2.5x10 -6 m2.
iii) Work function of the metal in eV

2. work function of Potassium is 2.84eV. Calculate

i) Minimum frequency of radiation that causes photo electric emission

ii) the maximum energy of the emitted electrons when uv radiation of frequency 8.4x10 14Hz is absorbed
by potassium.

Stopping Voltage Vstop

7
When V surface is continued to increase , it becomes more and more difficult for electrons to get out of the
surface. Only ones with high KE can jump. When surface voltage is equal to a voltage called V stop , electron
with highest KE also cannot jump. Therefore no photo electrons.

If V surface = o ( no voltage applied )

1
hf =[ φ ] +o+ [ 2
mv 2 ] max

If V surface = V stop

hf =[ φ ] +e V stop +o

therefore

1
e V stop= [ 2
m v2 ] max

Vstop/eV

f0/Hz
F0

Experiment to determine Work Function

R1 Variable Frequency monochromatic light source

E A +V surface

R2
V

viii. Laser

8
When a light beam satisfy following conditions it is called a LASER ( Light Amplification by Emission of Simulated
Radiation)

 mono chromatic ( single frequency)

 coherent ( phase difference constant)
 photons travel parallel to each other

uses :

ix. DeBroglie WaveLength

If light wave can behave as particles then particles should also be able to behave as waves. De Broglie suggested this
and proved wave length of a particle can be calculated using following equation.

h
λ=
mv

Evidence that particles behave like waves came from by observing electrons diffraction. In this a beam of electron is
allowed to pass through thin graphite sheet. On other side a diffraction pattern is observed. As particles can not
diffract this suggest electron is also having wave particle duality.

Eg : 1. Calculate the de Broglie wavelength of a neutron mass = 1.67 10 -27kg travelling at speed 200ms-1.

2. Calculate the frequency of an electron of mass 9.1x10 -31 Kg travelling at 0.3 C speed.

3. When an electron beam is passed through a graphite sheet, a substantial diffraction pattern is observed.
Estimate the distance between to molecules in graphite.

x. Energy Sources

9
 Source Advantages Disadvantages
Hydro Electricity

Diesel ( Crude Oil)

Nuclear Power

Coal

Solar

10
Geo Thermal

Wind

Tidal Power

11