The Photoelectric Effect
Claimed by Joe Baldino 4/16/2022 Short Description of Topic
The Main Idea
The photoelectric effect is the phenomena in which electrons are emitted from a material that is bombarded by electromagnetic radiation. First observed in the 19th century, the effect was confounding to scientists because of its violation of classical electromagnetism. These discrepancies ultimately led to Albert Einstein making groundbreaking proposals about the nature of light.
History
German physicist Heinrich Hertz is credited with the discovery of the photoelectric effect in 1887 when he observed a changing of sparking voltage between electrodes when ultraviolet light is shined on them[1]. The effect was subsequently studied by various other notable physicists, including Aleksandr Stoletov and J.J. Thomson. Most significant of this period, however, were the studies undertaken by Philipp Lenard. Lenard extensively worked on researching the photoelectric effect and determined that the velocity at which electrons are emitted from a material is independent of the frequency of the light[2]. This was one of the major discoveries that directly violated what was though to be known about electromagnetic radiation. This, compounded with later studies showing that there is a threshold frequency for electron emission and an absence of lag time, suggested the current understanding of the nature of light was insufficient.
Mechanism
A Mathematical Model
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Significance
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