GYANJYOTI PUBLIC SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
A PHYSICS PROJECT ON PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF ALL INDIA
SENIOR SECONDARY CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
SUBMITTED BY: AAYUSKA
CHATTERJEE
CLASS:12
ROLL NO. 04
[Company name] | [Company address]
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that AAYUSKA CHATTERJEE,
student of class 12, has satisfactorily
completed the course of PHYSICS
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT prescribed by the
CBSE under the AISSCE in the laboratory of
this school in the year 2025-26
CERTIFICATE
I would like to express my special thanks and
gratitude to my PHYSICS teacher, who gave
me the golden opportunity to do this project
on the topic "PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT". It
helped me in doing a lot of Research and I
came to know about a lot of things related to
this topic. I would also like to thank my
parents for their guidance and help in
finalizing this project within the limited time
FRAME
OBJECTIVE
PHOTOELECTRIC
EFFECT
WHAT IS PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT?
The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which
electrons are ejected from the surface of a metal when
light is incident on it. These ejected electrons are called
photoelectrons.
Principle of the
Photoelectric Effect
The law of conservation of energy forms the basis for the
photoelectric effect.
Principle of the Photoelectric Effect: Photoelectric Effect
Formula
According to Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric
effect, the energy of a photon = Energy needed to
remove an electron + Kinetic energy of the emitted
electron
hν = W + E
Where h is Planck’s constant
ν is the frequency of the incident photon
W is a work function
E is the maximum kinetic energy of the ejected electrons:
1/2 mv²
It is important to note that the emission of
photoelectrons and the kinetic energy of the ejected
photoelectrons are dependent on the frequency of the
light that is incident on the metal’s surface. The process
through which photoelectrons are ejected from the
surface of the metal due to the action of light is
commonly referred to as Photoemission. The
photoelectric effect occurs because the electrons at the
surface of the metal tend to absorb energy from the
incident light and use it to overcome the attractive forces
that bind them to the metallic nuclei. An illustration
detailing the emission of photoelectrons as a result of the
photoelectric effect is provided below.
HISTORY OF PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
The photoelectric effect was first introduced by Wilhelm
Ludwig Franz Hallwachs in the year 1887, and the
experimental verification was done by Heinrich Rudolf
Hertz. They observed that when a surface is exposed to
electromagnetic radiation at a higher threshold
frequency, the radiation is absorbed, and the electrons
are emitted. Today, we study the photoelectric effect as a
phenomenon that involves a material absorbing
electromagnetic radiation and releasing electrically
charged particles.
To be more precise, light incident on the surface of a
metal in the photoelectric effect surface of a metal in the
photoelectric effect causes electrons to be ejected. The
electron ejected due to the photoelectric effect is called a
photoelectron and is denoted by e-. The current produced
as a result of the ejected electrons is called the
photoelectric current.
Explaining the Photoelectric Effect: The
Concept of Photons
The photoelectric effect cannot be explained by considering light
as a wave. However, this phenomenon can be explained by the
particle nature of light, in which light can be visualised as a
stream of particles of electromagnetic energy. These ‘particles’
of light are called photons.
The energy held by a photon is related to the frequency of the
light via Planck’s equation.
E = h𝜈 = hc/λ
Where E denotes the energy of the photon
h is Planck’s constant
𝜈 denotes the frequency of the light
c is the speed of light (in a vacuum)
λ is the wavelength of the light
Thus, it can be understood that different frequencies of light
carry photons of varying energies. For example, the frequency of
blue light is greater than that of red light (the wavelength of
blue light is much shorter than the wavelength of red light).
Therefore, the energy held by a photon of blue light will be
greater than the energy held by a photon of red light.
