Chapter 11 Work Function of Some Metals

Dual nature of matter and Meta Work Meta Work

l Functio l Functio
radiation n in eV n in eV
Cs 2.14 Al 4.28
1. What are the different methods for K 2.30 Hg 4.49
the emission of electrons from metal Na 2.75 Cu 4.65
surface?
Ca 3.20 Ag 4.70
Ans: The different methods for the
Mo 4.17 Ni 5.15
emission of electrons from metal
Pb 4.25 Pt 5.65
surface are:
i. Thermionic emission
In this method the metal is heated to 5. State the laws of photoelectric
emission?
sufficient temperature and the free
Ans: i. For a given frequency of
electrons get enough energy to leave
the metal surface. incident radiation, the number of
Use: - This method is used in vacuum photoelectrons emitted is directly
proportional to the intensity of the
tubes.
ii. Field emission (cold cathode incident radiation.
emission) ii. The kinetic energy of
In this method, a strong electric field, photoelectrons is directly proportional
to the frequency of incident radiation
of the order of 108 V/m, is applied at
the metal surface which pulls the but it is independent of the intensity of
electrons from the metal surface. the radiation.
iii. Photo electric emission iii. Photoelectric effect does not
In this method, when electromagnetic occur if the frequency of the incident
radiation of suitable frequency falls on radiation is below a certain minimum
the metal surface, electrons are emitted value. “The minimum frequency of
from the metal. incident radiation required to produce
photoelectric effect is called threshold
2. What is photoelectric effect? frequency”.
Ans: When electromagnetic radiations iv. Photoelectric effect is an
of suitable frequency fall on surfaces instantaneous phenomenon.
of certain metals, electrons are emitted 6. Who explained photoelectric
effect?
from them. This phenomenon is called
photoelectric effect Ans: Albert Einstein explained
photoelectric effect based on quantum
3. Who discovered photoelectric theory of radiations.
7. Give Einstein’s explanation of
effect?
Ans: Photoelectric effect was photoelectric effect. Give Einstein’s
discovered by Heinrich Hertz in 1887. photoelectric equation.
Ans: Einstein explained photoelectric
effect based on quantum theory.
4. Define work function
Ans: The minimum energy required According to quantum theory, light
to eject an electron from the metal contain photons having energy h.
surface is called the work function. When a photon of energy h is incident
on a metal surface, electrons are
emitted. A part of the photon energy is
used as the work function and the
remaining part of the photon energy

SAJU K JOHN, M.Sc. Physics, NET, Doctoral Research Fellow at NIT Calicut 1
appears as the kinetic energy of When u.v. radiations are incident
photoelectrons. on the photosensitive emitter plate C,
Einstein’s photoelectric equation electrons are emitted and are collected
Photon Energy = Work function + by the collector plate A. The potential
maximum K.E. of photoelectron. difference between the electrodes is
h =  + Kmax measured by a voltmeter (V). The
 Kmax = h -  photoelectric current is measured by
This equation is called Einstein’s the micro ammeter.
photoelectric equation. We first keep the plate A at some
8. Give the relation between work positive accelerating potential with
function and threshold frequency. respect to plate C and illuminate plate
Ans: If a photon of threshold C with uv radiation of fixed frequency
frequency (0) is incident on the metal () and fixed intensity(I). We next
surface, the K.E. of the emitted increase the positive potential of the
electrons will be zero. plate A and measure the photocurrent
 0 = h0 -  each time. Then it is found that the
  = h0 photo current increases and finally
This is the relation between work saturates. This maximum value of
function and threshold frequency. photoelectric current for a particular
9. Explain the experimental setup of intensity of incident radiation is
photoelectric effect. Define stopping called saturation current. Saturation
potential. current corresponds to the case when
Ans: all the photoelectrons emitted by the
emitter plate C reach the collector plate
A.
We now apply a negative
(retarding) potential to the plate A with
respect to the plate C and make it
increasingly negative gradually. Then
the photo current is found to decrease.
And at a particular retarding potential
V0 photocurrent is completely stopped.
The minimum retarding potential of
the collector plate at which the
photocurrent stops or becomes zero is
called the cut-off or stopping
potential.
10. Give the relation between stopping
potential V0 and K.E. of photoelectron
Ans:
½ mv2 = eV0
11. Draw the variation of photoelectric
current with intensity of incident
The emitter plate C is a radiation.
photosensitive metal plate like zinc.
The plates C and A are enclosed in an
evacuated glass bulb with a transparent
quartz window, which allows u.v.
radiations to pass through it.

SAJU K JOHN, M.Sc. Physics, NET, Doctoral Research Fellow at NIT Calicut 2
Ans: particular retarding potential
photoelectric current becomes zero.
This retarding potential is called
stopping potential.

13. Draw the effect of intensity of

incident radiation on stopping
potential.
Ans:
The stopping potential is the
same for intensities I1, I2 and I3. Thus
the stopping potential is independent
Photoelectric current increases with of the intensity of incident light. But
increase in intensity of light.
Reason:
When we increase the intensity of
incident light, the number of photons
also increases. Therefore, the no. of
photoelectrons emitted increases.
Hence the photoelectric current
increases.

12. Draw the variation of photocurrent

with anode potential (Collector plate
potential).
Ans:

the photoelectric current (saturation

current) increases with intensity of
incident light.

14. Draw the effect of frequency of

incident radiation on stopping potential
Ans:
The stopping potential increases
Photoelectric current increases with increase in frequency of incident
with increase in accelerating potential light.
of the collector plate and reaches a
maximum value called the saturation Explanation: -
current. The K.E. of the photoelectrons
If the collector plate is negative increases with increase in frequency of
with respect to the emitter plate incident radiation. As the K.E. of the
(retarding potential) then the photoelectrons increases, the stopping
ଵ
photoelectric current decreases. If we potential increases. ( mv2 = eV0).
ଶ
increase the retarding potential, at a

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 That is, Planck’s constant = slope of
the graph × charge of electron.
Work function of the metal, ɸ= -(c × e)
That is work function of the metal,
ɸ= - (y-intercept of the graph × charge
of electron)

16. Photoelectric effect cannot be

explained using wave theory. Justify
the statement.
Ans:
According to wave theory of light,
light is an electro-magnetic wave
But the saturation current does not consisting of electric and magnetic
change with frequency. fields. A wave is a continuous
distribution of energy.
15. Draw the variation of stopping The changes that will occur in the
potential with frequency of incident photoelectric effect if light is
light. How can you find Planck’s considered as a wave are.
constant and work function from this 1. Greater the intensity of incident
graph? radiation, greater will be the
Ans: amplitude of the wave. When
amplitude of wave increases the
energy density of the wave
increases. Thus a high intensity
light contains high energy waves
and can emit photoelectrons of
greater kinetic energy. Therefore,
by the wave concept the K.E. of the
photoelectrons should depend on
the intensity of incident radiation.
But experiments show that KE of
photoelectron does not depend on
the intensity of incident radiation
but depends on the frequency.
The stopping potential increases with 2. When we consider the wave
frequency of incident radiation. concept, even low frequency wave
We know, can produce photoelectric effect if
ଵ the intensity is greater. Thus
h =  + mv2 (Einstein’s photo
ଶ threshold frequency should not
electric equation) exist. But experiments show that
h =  + eV0 there is a threshold frequency.
eV0 = h -  3. If light is a wave, the electron in the
V0 = he   e metal surface can absorb energy
continuously from the wave front.
Comparing with the standard equation But the energy absorbed per unit
of straight line y = mx + c, we get time is very small. Therefore, it
h 
Slope, m = e
and y – intercept c = 
e takes a long time (hours) for a
Planck’s constant, h= m × e single electron to absorb sufficient

SAJU K JOHN, M.Sc. Physics, NET, Doctoral Research Fellow at NIT Calicut 4
 energy to escape from the metal Dual Nature of Matter
surface. But experimental 20. What is meant by dual nature of
observations show that matter?
photoelectric effect is Ans: De Broglie found that particles
instantaneous. of matter have wave nature. Thus
Thus the wave picture of light material particles have dual nature.
is unable to explain photoelectric
effect. 21. What are matter waves?
Ans: The waves associated with
17. What is a photoelectric cell? material particles are called matter
Ans: Photoelectric cell is a device used waves or De Broglie waves.
to convert light energy into electric
energy using the principle of 22. Give expression for the De
photoelectric effect. Broglie wave length of a particle.
Ans:
18. Explain the particle nature of de-Broglie wave length,
light. What is a photon?
h
Ans: In the interaction of light with 
matter as in the case of photoelectric p
effect light behaves as if it is made of But p = mv
quanta or packets of energy. These h
quanta of energy are called photons. 
Properties of photons: mv
i) For light of frequency , all photons h Planck’s constant
have the same energy h and = 6.626 × 10-34J.S
h m mass of the particle
momentum v velocity of the particle
c ,
De-Broglie wave length in terms of
independent of the intensity
K.E. of particle
of light. 2
ii) Light having greater intensity p
We have K.E = 2 m
contains more no. of photons. But
the energy of photons is p = 2m(K.E)
independent of intensity. p = 2m(K.E.)
iii) Photons are electrically neutral and De-Broglie wavelength
are not deflected by electric or h
magnetic fields.  
p
iv) In photon-particle collision (such
as photon-electron collision), the h

total energy and the total 2m(K.E)
momentum are conserved.
However, the no. of photons may
De-Broglie wavelength in terms of
not be considered in a collision.
potential difference (voltage)
The K.E. of a charge moving under a
19. What is meant by dual nature of
potential difference of ‘V’ volts is,
radiation?
K.E. = qV
Ans: Radiation has wave nature as
well as particle nature. This is called h
 
the dual nature of radiation. 2mqV

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For an electron moving under a electrons scattered at different angles
potential difference of ‘V volt, is measured.
1.227 Observation: It was noticed that a
 nm nm – nano meter
V strong peak appeared in the intensity
1nm = 10-9m (I) of the scattered electrons for an
accelerating voltage of 54V at a
23. Which is the experiment that scattering angle of 500.
proves the De Broglie wave nature of Reasoning: The maximum value
electrons? of current at 54V and 500 is due to the
Ans: Davison – Germer Experiment constructive interference of scattered
electron waves from nickel crystal.
Interference is the property of waves
24. Explain the Davison and
only. Thus wave nature of electron is
Germer experiment. established.
Ans:
Aim: To prove the wave nature of Experimental wavelength of electron
electron. The wavelength of the electron can be
found from the Bragg’s equation
2d sinθ = n
Substituting experimental
(observed) values angle of diffraction
θ = 650, n= 1, (first order
diffraction) and d = 0.91A0, we get
1×  = 2 × 0.91 × 10-10 sin 65
= 2 × 0.91 × 10-10 × 0.906
= 0.165nm
Theoretical (de Broglie) wave length
of electron
The accelerating voltage is V= 54V
Procedure: A beam of electrons are 1.227
emitted by the filament F. These  nm
V
electrons are accelerated by the anode
1.227
‘A’. The beam is made narrow by  nm
passing it through the holes in 54
cylindrical anode. This narrow beam of = 0.167nm
electrons strikes the target T of Nickel The experimentally measured
crystal. The electrons are scattered in wavelength is found in good
all directions by the atoms of the target. agreement with de-Broglie wave
The intensity of scattered beam is length. Thus wave nature of electron is
measured by the electron detector confirmed.
which is connected to a galvanometer.
The detector can be moved on a Problems
circular scale. The current in the
galvanometer is a measure of the 1. What is the de-Broglie wave
intensity of the scattered beam of length associated with an electron,
electrons. The experiment is repeated accelerated through a potential
for varying the accelerating potentials difference of 100 volts?
and each time the intensity of the

SAJU K JOHN, M.Sc. Physics, NET, Doctoral Research Fellow at NIT Calicut 6
2. The work function of cesium ii) How many photons per second, on
metal is 2.14eV. When light of the average, arrive at a target irradiated
frequency 6×1014Hz is incident on the by this beam? Assume the beam to
metal surface, photoemission of have uniform cross-section which is
electrons occurs. What is the less than the target area), and
(a) Maximum kinetic energy of the
emitted electrons, iii) How fast does a hydrogen atom
(b) Stopping potential, and have to travel in order to have the
(c) Maximum speed of the emitted same momentum as that of the
photoelectrons? photon?

3. The photoelectric cut-off voltage in 9. The elements of which group of the

a certain experiment is 1.5 V. What is periodic table are suitable for photo
the maximum kinetic energy of electric emission?
photoelectron emitted?

4. In an experiment on photoelectric 10. When light of frequency 7.21x1014

effect, the slop of the cut-off voltage Hz is incident on metal surface, the
versus frequency of incident light is maximum speed of ejected
found to be 4.12 × 10-15V s. Calculate electrons is 6x10 5 m/s. Calculate
the value of Plank’s constant. the threshold frequency for the
metal.
5. The work function for a certain
metal is 4.2 eV. Will this metal give
photoelectric emission for incident
radiation of wavelength 330 nm?

6. Calculate the
(a) momentum and
(b) de Broglie wavelength of the
electrons accelerated through a
potential difference of 56 V.

7. Monochromatic light of frequency

6.0 × 1014Hz is produced by a laser.
The power emitted is 2.0 × 10-3W. (a)
What is the energy of a photon in the
light beam? (b) How many photons per
second, on an average, are emitted by
the source?

8. Monochromatic light of wavelength

632.8 nm is produced by a helium-
neon laser. The power emitted is 9.42
mW.

i) Find the energy and momentum of

each photon in the light beam,

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