National Science Foundation
Excellence Center of Science and Mathematics Education at King Saud University
Photoelectric Effect
See how light knocks electrons off a metal target, and recreate the experiment that spawned the field of quantum mechanics.
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Topics
Main Topics
- Light
- Quantum mechanics
- Photons
Related Topics
- Light, Quantum Mechanics, Photons, Electrons, Energy Levels, Work Function, Stopping Potential, Intensity, Frequency, Wavelength, Circuits, Voltage, Current, Intensity, Frequency, Wavelength, Circuits, Voltage, Current, Cathode Ray Tube, chemistry
Sample Learning Goals
- Visualize and describe the photoelectric effect experiment.
- Correctly predict the results of experiments of the photoelectric effect: e.g. how changing the intensity of light will affect the current and the energy of electrons, how changing the wavelength of light will affect the current and the energy of electrons, how changing the voltage of light will affect the current and the energy of electrons, how changing the material of the target will affect the current and the energy of electrons.
- Describe how these results lead to the photon model of light: e.g. argue that only a photon model of light can explain why, when light is shining on the metal but there is no current, increasing the frequency will lead to a current, but increasing the intensity of light or the voltage between the plates will not.
Teaching Ideas
Tips for Teachers
The teacher's guide contains tips for teachers created by the PhET team (PDF).
Ideas and Activities for this Sim
There are 11 contributions listed.
 Title | Author | Level | Type | Updated |
| How to add Instruction set in Photoelectric Expt. | P. Joshi | UG-Intro | Lab | 11/09 |
Intro to Photoelectric Effect Interactive Lecture   | S. McKagan | UG-Intro UG-Adv | CQs Demo | 7/08 |
| Photoelectic Effect PhET Lab | C. Bires | UG-Intro HS | Lab | 3/09 |
| Photoelectric effect | J. Bourne | UG-Intro | Lab | 10/07 |
| Photoelectric Effect | C. miller | HS | Lab | 9/07 |
| Photoelectric Effect Activity | D. Collins | UG-Intro | Lab | 9/07 |
| Photoelectric Effect Virtual Experiment | P. Longwell | HS | Lab | 2/09 |
| The Photoelectric Effect | D. Carroll | HS UG-Intro | HW Lab | 6/09 |
| The Photoelectric Effect | A. Sokolowski | HS | Lab | 4/07 |
| The Photoelectric Effect and Work Functions | R. Pirrie | HS | Lab | 1/09 |
| Understanding the Photoelectric Effect | S. McKagan | UG-Intro UG-Adv | HW | 7/08 |
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Software Requirements
| Windows Systems | Macintosh Systems | Linux Systems |
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Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later |
OS 10.4.11 or later Apple Java 1.5.0_19 or later |
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later |
Translated Versions
Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
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