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Jules18
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If a substance is warmer, is it easier for it to emit photoelectrons?
I was thinking that maybe light of lower frequency would be required.
I was thinking that maybe light of lower frequency would be required.
Jules18 said:If a substance is warmer, is it easier for it to emit photoelectrons?
I was thinking that maybe light of lower frequency would be required.
Gan_HOPE326 said:So, at any temperature above absolute zero, following Fermi's distribution there will be a few electrons with greater energy than Fermi level - some of them could even have enough energy to escape the crystal.
Vanadium 50 said:That's called thermionic emission; it's a separate process entirely.
Dadface said:But since the work function depends on the nature/structure of the substance one might expect that it changes with temperature.
The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon where certain metals emit electrons when light of a specific frequency is shone on them. This was first discovered by Albert Einstein and has been studied extensively in the field of quantum mechanics.
Increasing the temperature of a metal can increase the number of electrons emitted due to the photoelectric effect. This is because at higher temperatures, more electrons have enough energy to overcome the work function of the metal and escape into the surrounding area.
The work function is the minimum amount of energy required to remove an electron from a metal surface. It is different for each metal and is a key factor in determining the effectiveness of the photoelectric effect.
No, the photoelectric effect only occurs with light of a specific frequency, known as the threshold frequency. If the frequency of the light is below the threshold, no electrons will be emitted regardless of the intensity of the light.
The photoelectric effect has been used in a variety of technologies, including solar panels, photocells, and photomultiplier tubes. It has also played a crucial role in the development of quantum mechanics and our understanding of the particle-wave duality of light.