- #1
rtareen
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- TL;DR Summary
- This is about the photoelectric experiment as it is presented in the introductory sequence. The book throws a lot of information at me at once and still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I have attached the section for your reference.
Background: self-studying. Very confused. Here are some initial questions I have about the photoelectric experiment. Some more may pop up later.
1. The book says we know photons exist due to energy considerations (such as emission or absorption). They also say that this photon energy is quantized. But Einstein said that E = hf. So if the frequency spectrum is continuous, how can a photon's energy be quantized?
2. Why do the electrons so conveniently escape from the grasp of the nucleus instead of being pushed into it? Will we cover the answer later? (If this is too complicated please don't answer).
3. The photoelectric equation can be written ##hf = K_{max} + \Phi### . I know phi is the energy required for the electron to be ejected from the atom. But after it leaves, if we are not doing any experiment where there is a potential difference, the only energy the electron has is its kinetic energy. Where does the work function energy go after the electron escapes?
4. I think that, if ##hf = eV_0 + \Phi##, all photons will make it atleast to the anode? Is there ever a time where some electrons end up with less energy than others? In the beginning of the section they talked about "less energetic electrons" before they explained the experimental results. Was that just speculation based on the wave model?
5. What happens if ##hf > eV_0 + \Phi##? I know if the intensity increases the current increases. But what about the frequency?
1. The book says we know photons exist due to energy considerations (such as emission or absorption). They also say that this photon energy is quantized. But Einstein said that E = hf. So if the frequency spectrum is continuous, how can a photon's energy be quantized?
2. Why do the electrons so conveniently escape from the grasp of the nucleus instead of being pushed into it? Will we cover the answer later? (If this is too complicated please don't answer).
3. The photoelectric equation can be written ##hf = K_{max} + \Phi### . I know phi is the energy required for the electron to be ejected from the atom. But after it leaves, if we are not doing any experiment where there is a potential difference, the only energy the electron has is its kinetic energy. Where does the work function energy go after the electron escapes?
4. I think that, if ##hf = eV_0 + \Phi##, all photons will make it atleast to the anode? Is there ever a time where some electrons end up with less energy than others? In the beginning of the section they talked about "less energetic electrons" before they explained the experimental results. Was that just speculation based on the wave model?
5. What happens if ##hf > eV_0 + \Phi##? I know if the intensity increases the current increases. But what about the frequency?