Hamish doubles a lamp's brightness over a metal plate. Twice as many electrons leave each second. The fastest electrons, though, are exactly as energetic as before.
One of the four observations said intensity sets how many electrons leave each second. The photon model now explains it, and says what brightness can never change.
Raise the intensity of above-threshold light and more photons arrive each second. The color is unchanged, so each photon is the same lump as before.
Count the events. Each ejection is one absorbed photon. Double the photons each second, and the ejections each second double.
The energy side never moves. Each ejected electron still collected one unchanged lump, so the maximum energy of the ejected electrons stays where it was.
Hamish's doubling shows both halves at once: twice the ejections each second, the same maximum energy.
Brightness drives how many electrons leave each second. It never drives how energetic they are.
An ultraviolet lamp's brightness over zinc is doubled, its frequency unchanged. Predict the ejection rate.
Doubling the brightness doubles the photons arriving each second.
Each ejection is one absorbed photon.
So twice the photons each second means twice the ejections each second.
The ejection rate doubles: twice as many electrons leave each second.
A violet lamp above a metal's threshold is made three times as bright, frequency unchanged. Predict the ejections each second and the maximum electron energy.
Three times the brightness means three times the photons each second, each an unchanged lump.
Each ejection is one absorbed photon, so the ejections each second triple.
Each ejected electron still collected one unchanged lump, so the maximum energy holds.
Three times the ejections each second; the maximum electron energy is unchanged.
The brightness of above-threshold light on a plate is doubled, its color unchanged. What happens to the number of electrons ejected each second?
Gwenno says: 'The brighter the lamp, the more energy each ejected electron carries away.' Is Gwenno correct?
Bodhi says: 'Making the lamp brighter leaves the maximum energy of the ejected electrons unchanged.' Is Bodhi correct?
Why does brighter above-threshold light eject more electrons each second?
A floodlight above a metal's threshold doubles in brightness, color unchanged. What happens to the maximum energy of the ejected electrons?
The same above-threshold lamp is dimmed to half its brightness, color unchanged. What happens to the number of electrons ejected each second?