Bodhi swaps the ultraviolet lamp over a zinc plate for one of even higher frequency, no brighter. Each ejected electron now leaves with more energy to spare.
The last of the four observations tied the maximum electron energy to frequency. The photon model's account: a bigger single lump, a fixed exit price in energy, a bigger leftover.
Escaping a metal's surface takes energy: a set amount, the same for every electron of that metal. Call it what it is, the fixed cost of escaping the metal.
The energy comes from the one photon the electron absorbed. The escape uses up the fixed share; whatever is left over, the electron keeps as its own energy.
Bigger lump in, same fixed cost, more left over. That is the whole account.
Bodhi's swap on zinc shows it: the higher-frequency ultraviolet lamp leaves each ejected electron with more energy to spare.
Below the threshold the same account explains the silence: there, one photon's lump cannot even cover the fixed cost, so nothing is left to leave with.
An ultraviolet lamp over zinc is swapped for one of higher frequency, equally bright. Compare the ejected electrons' maximum energy before and after.
Each ejected electron absorbs one photon, before and after the swap.
The new lamp's photons each carry a bigger lump, because energy per photon follows frequency.
The fixed cost of escaping the metal has not changed, so the leftover grows.
After the swap, each ejected electron leaves with more energy to spare.
Two lamps shine in turn on the same metal, both above its threshold: Hamish's lamp, and a higher-frequency one belonging to Gwenno. Under whose lamp do the ejected electrons leave with more energy?
Under either lamp, each ejected electron keeps what is left of one photon's lump after the fixed cost of escaping the metal.
Gwenno's lamp has the higher frequency, so each of its photons delivers the bigger lump.
Same fixed cost, bigger lump, bigger leftover.
Under Gwenno's lamp.
Above-threshold light's frequency is raised, brightness unchanged. What happens to the maximum energy of the ejected electrons?
Why do higher-frequency photons leave ejected electrons with more energy?
Farid says: 'The fixed cost of escaping the metal is the same for every electron of that metal.' Is Farid correct?
Which statement explains why raising the light's frequency raises the maximum energy of the ejected electrons?
Two lamps shine in turn on one metal, both above its threshold and equally bright: a violet lamp and an ultraviolet lamp. Under which lamp do ejected electrons leave with more energy to spare?
Lamps of three rising frequencies, all above one metal's threshold and equally bright, shine in turn. What happens to the maximum electron energy as the frequency climbs lamp by lamp?