![]() This showed that whatever was knocking the electrons out had an energy proportional to light frequency. A weak violet light will eject only a few electrons, but their maximum kinetic energies are greater than those for intense light of longer wavelengths!Īnalysis of data from the photoelectric experiment showed that the energy of the ejected electrons was proportional to the frequency of the illuminating light. Red light will not cause the ejection of electrons, no matter what the intensity!Ĥ. Increasing the intensity of the light increased the number of photoelectrons, but not their maximum kinetic energy!ģ. The electrons were emitted immediately - no time lag!Ģ. The remarkable aspects of the photoelectric effect when it was first observed were:ġ. ![]() The explanation marked one of the major steps toward quantum theory. The details of the photoelectric effect were in direct contradiction to the expectations of very well developed classical physics. On the other hand, the particle properties of electrons was well documented when the DeBroglie hypothesis and the subsequent experiments by Davisson and Germer established the wave nature of the electron. ![]() The evidence for the description of light as waves was well established at the turn of the century when the photoelectric effect introduced firm evidence of a particle nature as well. Publicized early in the debate about whether light was composed of particles or waves, a wave-particle dual nature soon was found to be characteristic of electrons as well. Wave-Particle Duality Wave-Particle Duality ![]()
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