- #1
Denver Dang
- 148
- 1
Hi...
I have a quick question I'm not quite understanding.
If I shine some light on a surface, metal or something, and the energy of the incoming wave is larger than the energy-barrier for the electron on the surface, an electron will be emitted.
But my question is, if the incoming photon has the energy of, let's say, 1 ev, and the energy barrier is 0.5 ev, then the light will have twice the amount of energy it needs to emit the electron from the surface. But what happens with the rest then ?
If the barrier is 1.1 ev, nothing will happen, and the photon will just pass through or diffract, right ?
But in this case, will the electron absorb 0.5 ev from the photon, and the re-emit another photon with a changed wavelength that is equal to the left over energy of 0.5 ev ?
Thanks in advance.
Regards
I have a quick question I'm not quite understanding.
If I shine some light on a surface, metal or something, and the energy of the incoming wave is larger than the energy-barrier for the electron on the surface, an electron will be emitted.
But my question is, if the incoming photon has the energy of, let's say, 1 ev, and the energy barrier is 0.5 ev, then the light will have twice the amount of energy it needs to emit the electron from the surface. But what happens with the rest then ?
If the barrier is 1.1 ev, nothing will happen, and the photon will just pass through or diffract, right ?
But in this case, will the electron absorb 0.5 ev from the photon, and the re-emit another photon with a changed wavelength that is equal to the left over energy of 0.5 ev ?
Thanks in advance.
Regards