Photo electric effect relate to determining the charge of an electron?

In summary, the photoelectric effect and determining the charge of an electron are not directly related. However, the photoelectric effect can be used in conjunction with other methods, such as the Milliken Oil Drop Experiment, to determine the charge of an electron. There is some controversy surrounding the accuracy of Milikan's results in his experiment.
  • #1
Kristine
3
0
how does the photo electric effect relate to determining the charge of an electron?
 
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  • #2
I'm not sure that it does.

The photoelectric effect is where incident photons have sufficient energy to knock electrons out of their captured state - ie ionise the material. Charge is irrelevant here.
 
  • #3
If we apply formula for Photoelectric effect i.e.

[tex]k_{max}=E_{photon}-\phi(work function of metal)[/tex]

now if we are able to stop the fastest moving electron with cuttoff voltage such that [tex]eV_0 = K_{max}[/tex]
so we can calculate e from above equation

But I'm not sure whether this is applied for charge calculation
 
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  • #4
The classic experiment for determination of electron charge is the Milliken Oil Drop Experiment. Or, as I call it, the Milliken Eye-strain Experiment.

Njorl
 
  • #5
Yes its true classical method was developed by Milikan

But i read somewhere that he manipulated with his readings , is there any controversy
 

1. What is the photoelectric effect?

The photoelectric effect is the phenomenon where electrons are emitted from a material when light of a certain frequency is shone on it.

2. How does the photoelectric effect relate to determining the charge of an electron?

The photoelectric effect can be used to determine the charge of an electron by measuring the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons and using the equation KEmax = hf - φ where h is Planck's constant, f is the frequency of the light, and φ is the material's work function. The charge of an electron can then be calculated using the equation e = KEmax/V where e is the charge of an electron and V is the voltage applied to the material.

3. What is the work function?

The work function is the minimum amount of energy required to remove an electron from the surface of a material. It is a characteristic property of the material and is typically measured in electron volts (eV).

4. How is the frequency of the light related to the energy of the emitted electrons?

According to the equation KEmax = hf - φ, the energy of the emitted electrons is directly proportional to the frequency of the light. This means that as the frequency increases, the energy of the electrons also increases.

5. Can the photoelectric effect be explained by classical physics?

No, the photoelectric effect cannot be explained by classical physics. According to classical physics, the energy of the emitted electrons should increase with the intensity of the light. However, in experiments, it has been observed that the energy of the electrons only depends on the frequency of the light, which is a characteristic of quantum mechanics.

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