## intensity, photons, and frequency

$c=\lambda v$

Funmi Baruwa
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:50 pm

### intensity, photons, and frequency

In one lecture Dr. Lavelle said that intensity is proportional to the numberer of photons, is this also the same for photons and frequency?

Mary Gallo 1G
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### Re: intensity, photons, and frequency

Hi! Increasing the number of photons does not increase their frequency, just the intensity of the light. Instead, the frequency of an individual photon is proportional to the energy of that photon. Hope this helps!

Gerardo Ortega 2F
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### Re: intensity, photons, and frequency

So intensity is proportional to the number of photons, which is proportional to the number of electrons ejected. However, the number of photons is not proportional to frequency. If the energy of the photons does not meet the work function (minimum energy required to eject an electron), then no electrons will be ejected, no matter how many photons are added.

Nathan Lao 2I
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### Re: intensity, photons, and frequency

I don't think intensity necessarily refers to frequency since frequency has to do with the wavelength and the energy of the light. In terms of the photoelectric effect, I'm assuming intensity means using more photons of the same wavelength as opposed to a higher/lower energy light to eject the electron.

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### Re: intensity, photons, and frequency

Intensity is proportional to the number of photons (aka the number of electrons emitted) but it is not proportional to the frequency. It does not matter how many photons you have, if they do not meet the requirements of the threshold energy (the amount of energy it takes to eject an electron), then no electrons are ejected.

Funmi Baruwa
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### Re: intensity, photons, and frequency

that makes a lot of sense thank you very much1

Brandon Le 3C
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### Re: intensity, photons, and frequency

Increasing the number of photons would increase the intensity of the light, which is the same as increasing the amplitude of the wave model. However, changing the amplitude does not affect wavelength or frequency. Therefore, increasing the number of photons would have no affect on the wavelength or frequency of the wave model.

Eunice_Castro_1G
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:46 pm

### Re: intensity, photons, and frequency

Hi! Increasing the intensity of light increases the number of photons, but does not increase the energy per photons, meaning the frequency will not increase. Hope this helps!