Which of the following experimental phenomena could **NOT** be explained by classical EM wave theory?
ARefraction
BDiffraction
CPhotoelectric effect
DInterference
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Photoelectric effect
Refraction, diffraction, interference are all natural consequences of wave behaviour. The photoelectric effect — particularly the existence of a threshold frequency — needed Einstein's photon hypothesis (light as quantum particles) for an explanation.
Related questions
Calcium-40 (Z=20, A=40) and Argon-40 (Z=18, A=40) are best described as:Atoms of the SAME element with DIFFERENT mass numbers are called:An atom of chlorine has atomic number Z = 17 and mass number A = 37. The number of neutronThe atomic number (Z) of an element is equal to the:The neutron was discovered by:Bohr's model of the atom fixed Rutherford's instability problem by proposing that electronRutherford's gold foil experiment concluded that most of the atom is:The Rydberg constant for hydrogen, in SI units, is