Understanding the Photoelectric Effect

What is the photoelectric effect best explained by?

• Theory of relativity

• Particle theory of light

• Wave theory of light

• Quantum mechanics

What happens when a photon with enough energy hits an electron in a metal?

• The photon is absorbed without effect

• The electron is destroyed

• The electron is emitted from the metal

• The metal becomes superconductive

What is the work function in the context of the photoelectric effect?

• The maximum energy a photon can have

• The energy required to change the state of the metal

• The minimum energy needed to remove an electron from a metal

• The amount of energy to break a metal into two

What does the kinetic energy of a photoelectron depend on?

• The type of metal only

• The energy of the photon and the work function

• The speed of light

• The angle of photon incidence

If the frequency of the incident light is exactly equal to the threshold frequency, what happens to the photoelectron?

• It transforms into a photon

• It gains maximum kinetic energy

• It remains bound within the metal

• It is freed without any kinetic energy

How is the momentum of a photon calculated if it is massless?

• Using the formula p = mv

• Using the formula p = h/λ

• Through the energy-momentum relation E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2

• It cannot have momentum

What is the role of Planck's constant in the photoelectric effect?

• It is used to calculate the energy of the photons

• It determines the intensity of the incident light

• It is irrelevant to the photoelectric effect

• It represents the threshold frequency

What would happen if the energy of the photon is less than the work function of the metal?

• The metal heats up

• The electron is still emitted but with less energy

• The photon is reflected

• No photoelectron is emitted

What does the term 'photoelectron' refer to?

• A special type of electron in the metal

• A photon that behaves like an electron

• An electron after absorbing a photon

• An electron emitted from the surface of a metal due to the photoelectric effect

What is the significance of the threshold frequency in the photoelectric effect?

• It is the frequency at which all metals will emit electrons

• It is the maximum frequency observable in metals

• It determines the color of the metal

• It is the minimum frequency needed to emit electrons from a specific metal