Photoelectric Effect and Photons

[MaryBanh_2K]

Can someone explain what a photon exactly is and how it relates to the Photoelectric Effect? I can't seem to comprehend it in simple terms.

[Debora Fernandez Clemente_ 4H]

A photon is a basic unit of light, when it hits a metal and meets the threshold, an electron will be emitted.

[Ruby Tang 2J]

A photon is an elementary particle representing a unit or quanta of light. The photoelectric effect suggested that light exhibited the behavior of a particle (ie photon), because a change in the intensity of light did not result in a change in the kinetic energy of the electrons emitted from the metal, which was expected if we assume that light is a wave propagating through space. Because this result was not consistent with the wave model of light, Einstein instead explained the discrepancy by proposing that light is instead composed of several discrete wave packets.

[Kim Chen]

Just to add to this discussion, this is why we can say that light has particle-like behavior. Photons (as said before) are what a unit of light is referred to as, and when UV light hits a metal surface, electrons will be emitted. Electrons possess particle-like behavior.

[Ruby Richter 2L]

A helpful way to think of it is to consider light as photons of energy where one photon interacts with one electron. Each photon must have enough energy to remove an electron.

[quresh3E]

The professor stated that if the energy per photon is greater or equal to the energy needed to remove an electron only then would the increase in light intensity result in more elected e-s. What exactly does this mean?

[Martina]

A photons is a unit or packet of energy that interacts with exactly one electron. Each one should have enough energy to remove an electron.