- #1
EIRE2003
- 108
- 0
When white light is radiated on a metal surface such as a zinc plate, do any of the zinc atoms emit any electrons?
I know that only the high freq photons that are above the threshold freq such as ultra-violet do, but what confuses me now that I am thinking about it is that, of course white light is composed of the 7 colours of light, each of with a certain freq, in which UV light is the highest energy of them, so why can't e- be emitted from the surface of a metal when white light is shone upon a metal plate?
I know that only the high freq photons that are above the threshold freq such as ultra-violet do, but what confuses me now that I am thinking about it is that, of course white light is composed of the 7 colours of light, each of with a certain freq, in which UV light is the highest energy of them, so why can't e- be emitted from the surface of a metal when white light is shone upon a metal plate?