alleryStart learning →In the photoelectric effect, electrons are ejected from a clean metal surface only when the light has:
AA high enough frequency
BA high enough brightness
CA long enough wavelength
DA long enough exposure
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. A high enough frequency
1. It had been observed that electrons could be ejected from the clean surface of a metal.
2. That happened when light having a frequency greater than some threshold frequency was shone on it.
3. Electrons were ejected when hit by photons having sufficient energy, meaning a frequency greater than the threshold.
4. Below the threshold no electrons come off no matter how bright or how long the light is applied.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 'Electronic Structure and Periodic Properties of Elements', sections 6.1-6.5_
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