The photoelectric effect

Change the frequency of the light and the metal to see whether electrons are emitted and how much energy they leave with.

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Questions students ask

Why does brighter red light not release electrons?

Each electron absorbs one photon. If one red photon has less energy than the work function, more of them (brighter light) still cannot release an electron.

What formula does it use?

E = hf = hc/λ; Eₖ(max) = hf − φ.

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