Photoelectric Effect

Experiment objectives: measure the ratio of Planck’s constant to the electron charge h/e using photo-
electric effect.

History
The photoelectric effect and its understanding was an important step in development of quantum mechanics.
You probably know that Max Planck was the first to postulate that light was made up of discrete packages
of energy. At that time it was a proposed hypothetical light property that allowed for the proper description
of black body radiation. Several years after Planck made this suggestion, Albert Einstein refined the idea to
explain the strange features of electrons which are emitted from metal surfaces after absorbing energy from
light. Later he received a Nobel prize for this work.

Theory

V Cathode

− e hv

Anode

Figure 1: Very schematic photo-electric apparatus.

Consider an apparatus as outlined in Figure 1 (it is the apparatus which Heinrich Hertz used to inad-
vertently discover the “photoelectric effect”). Light of a frequency ν strikes a cathode, causing electrons to
be emitted with velocity v. A positive voltage applied between the anode and the cathode can accelerate
emitted electrons towards the positive anode, producing an electrical current in the circuit. A reverse bias
potential applied between the anode and cathode will slow down the electrons, and even stop them from
reaching the anode by matching their kinetic energy. This is the way to carefully measure the kinetic energies
of the photo electrons.
1
KEmax = ( mv 2 )max = eV0 (1)
2

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where KEmax is the maximum kinetic energy, m and e are the mass and the charge of an electron, and V0
is a potential required to stop the electrons (known as the stopping potential).
From the point of view of a wave theory of light, the energy carried by the light wave is proportional
to its intensity, and independent of light frequency. Thus, it was logical to expect that stronger light
should increase the energy of photoelectrons. However, the experiments of Philipp Lenard in 1900 showed
something different: although the maximum current increased with light intensity, the stopping potential V0
was independent of light intensity. This meant that increasing the rate of energy falling onto the cathode
does not increase the maximum energy of the electrons. This was quite a surprising result from the classical
point of view.
This “controversy” was elegantly resolved five years later by Albert Einstein, who postulated that light
arrived in discrete quanta known as “photons”, and each photon led to an emission of a single electron.
The energy of each photon is determined by the frequency of light - hν. Thus the energy of an emitted
photoelectron (and therefore the value of the stopping potential V0 ) is determined by the frequency of an
individual incident photon:
1
eV0 = mv 2 = hν − φ (2)
2
where φ is known as the “work function” - the amount of energy needed to free the electron from the cathode.
The value of the work energy is a property of the cathode material. Also, it is now clear why the intensity
of light does not affect the stopping potential: more intense light has higher photon flux and thus increase
the number of emitted photoelectrons, but the energy of each electron is determined only on the energy of
a single photon, and that depends only by light frequency ν.
Where do all those electrons come from?
At Jefferson Lab in nearby Newport News, high-energy electrons (GeV range) are aimed at targets to probe
the fundamental properties of quarks. But where do all those electrons come from? From the photoelectric
effect, of course! A laser beam is aimed at a cathode consisting of a material like copper or GaAs. The
frequency of the laser is such that electrons will be emitted from the cathode. In this way, high current
electron beams are produced. One benefit of using a laser and the photoelectric effect is that if the laser
is ”pulsed” in time, the electron beam will be also (this allows synchronized timing in the experiments).
Also, the polarization of the laser can be manipulated to allow for the emission of electrons with particular
spin. See: www.jlab.org

Procedure
Equipment needed: Pasco photo-electric apparatus, Hg lamp, digital voltmeter.
Pasco apparatus contains a circuit which automatically determines the stopping potential, which you
measure off of a voltmeter, so there is no need in adjusting the stopping potential yourself or measuring the
current (lucky you!). Read the brief description of its operation in Appendix.
Set up the equipment as shown in Fig. 2. First, place a lens/grating assembly in front of the Mercury
lamp, and observe a dispersed spectrum on a sheet of paper, as shown in Fig. 3. Identify spectral lines in
both the first and the second diffraction orders on both sides. Keep in mind that the color “assignment” is
fairly relative, and make sure you find all lines mentioned in table in Fig.!3. Often the first/second order
lines on one side are brighter than on the other - check your apparatus and determine what orders you will
be using in your experiment.
After that instal the h/e Apparatus and focus the light from the Mercury Vapor Light Source onto the
slot in the white reflective mask on the h/e Apparatus. Tilt the Light shield of the Apparatus out of the
way to reveal the white photodiode mask inside the Apparatus. Slide the Lens/Grating assembly forward
and back on its support rods until you achieve the sharpest image of the aperture centered on the hole in the
photodiode mask. Secure the Lens/Grating by tightening the thumbscrew. Align the system by rotating the
h/e Apparatus on its support base so that the same color light that falls on the opening of the light screen
falls on the widow in the photodiode mask, with no overlap of color from other spectral lines. Return the
Light Shield to its closed position.
Check the polarity of the leads from your digital voltmeter (DVM), and connect them to the OUTPUT
terminals on the h/e Apparatus.

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 Figure 2: The Pasco photoelectric effect setup.

Experimental procedure
Part A: The dependence of the stopping potential on the intensity of light
1. Adjust the h/e Apparatus so that only one of the spectral colors falls upon the opening of the mask
of the photodiode. For this measurements the colors from high-frequency part of the spectrum usually
work better. If you select the green or yellow spectral line, place the corresponding colored filter over
the White Reflective Mask on the h/e Apparatus.
2. Place the Variable Transmission Filter in front of the White Reflective Mask (and over the colored filter,
if one is used) so that the light passes through the section marked 100% and reaches the photodiode.
Record the DVM voltage reading in the table below.
Press the instrument discharge button, release it, and observe how much time is required to return to
the recorded voltage.
3. Move the Variable Transmission Filter so that the next section is directly in front of the incoming light.
Record the new DVM reading, and approximate time to recharge after the discharge button has been
pressed and released.
4. Move the Variable Transmission Filter so that the next section is directly in front of the incoming light.
Record the new DVM reading and approximate time to recharge after the discharge button has been
pressed and released. Note: here you are making only qualitative estimation of time, so keep only one
significant figure when recording the times.
Repeat step 3 until you have tested all five sections of the filter.
Repeat the procedure with a second color from the spectrum.

Part B: The dependence of the stopping potential on the frequency of light

1. You can easily see five brightest colors in the mercury light spectrum. Adjust the h/e Apparatus so
that only one of the yellow colored bands falls upon the opening of the mask of the photodiode. Place
the yellow colored filter over the White Reflecting Mask on the h/e Apparatus.
2. Record the DVM voltage reading (stopping potential) in the table.

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 Figure 3: The Pasco photoelectric effect setup.

3. Repeat the process for each color in the spectrum for both first and second orders. Each lab partner
have to repeat the measurements, including alignment of the detector. Be sure to use the the green
and yellow filters when you are using the green and yellow spectral lines. These filters limit higher
frequencies of the room light from entering the h/e Apparatus. It also blocks the higher frequency
ultraviolet light from the higher order spectra which may overlap with lower orders of yellow and green.

Analysis
Classical vs. Quantum model of light
1. Describe the effect that passing different amounts of the same colored light through the Variable
Transmission Filter has on the stopping potential and thus the maximum energy of the photoelectrons,
as well as the charging time after pressing the discharge button.
2. Describe the effect that different colors of light had on the stopping potential and thus the maximum
energy of the photoelectrons.
3. Defend whether this experiment supports a classical wave or a quantum model of light based on your
lab results.
Read the theory of the detector operation in the Appendix, and explain why there is a slight drop in the
measured stopping potential as the light intensity is reduced.

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NOTE: While the impedance of the unity gain amplifiers very high (1013 Ω), it is not infinite and some
charge leaks off. Thus charging the apparatus is analogous to filling a bath tub with different water flow
rates while the drain is partly open.

The relationship between Energy, Wavelength and Frequency

1. Using the table in Fig. 3 to find the exact frequencies and wavelengths of the spectral lines you used,
plot the measured stopping potential values versus light frequency for all sets of measurements (can
be on same graph).
2. Fit the plots according to: eV0 = hν − φ, extracting values for slopes and intercepts. Find average
value for slope and its uncertainty. From the slope, determine h counting e = 1.6 · 10−19 C. Is your
measured values agrees with the accepted value of h = 2π · 10−34 J·s within experimental uncertainty?
3. From the intercepts, find the average value and uncertainty of the work function φ. Look up some
values of work functions for typical metals. Is it likely that the detector material is a simple metal?

Appendix: Operation principle of the stopping potential detector

The schematics of the apparatus used to measure the automatically measure the stopping potential is shown
in Fig. 4. Monochromatic light falls on the cathode plate of a vacuum photodiode tube that has a low work
function φ. Photoelectrons ejected from the cathode collect on the anode. The photodiode tube and its
associated electronics have a small capacitance which becomes charged by the photoelectric current. When
the potential on this capacitance reaches the stopping potential of the photoelectrons, the current decreases
to zero, and the anode-to-cathode voltage stabilizes. This final voltage between the anode and cathode is
therefore the stopping potential of the photoelectrons.

Figure 4: The electronic schematic diagram of the h/e apparatus.

To let you measure the stopping potential, the anode is connected to a built-in differential amplifier with
an ultrahigh input impedance (> 1013 Ω), and the output from this amplifier is connected to the output
jacks on the front panel of the apparatus. This high impedance, unity gain (Vout /Vin = 1) amplifier lets you
measure the stopping potential with a digital voltmeter.
Due to the ultra high input impedance, once the capacitor has been charged from the photodiode current
it takes a long time to discharge this potential through some leakage. Therefore a shorting switch labeled
“PUSH TO Zero” enables the user to quickly bleed off the charge.

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Sample data tables:
Color %Transmission Stopping Approx.
Potential Charge Time
100
80
60
40
20
Color %Transmission Stopping Approx.
Potential Charge Time
100
80
60
40
20
First Or- Wavelength, Frequency, Stopping Stopping Stopping
der Color nm 1014 Hz Potential, V Potential, V Potential, V
(Partner 1) (Partner 2) (Partner 3)
Yellow
Green
Blue
Violet
Ultraviolet
Second Or- Wavelength, Frequency, Stopping Stopping Stopping
der Color nm 1014 Hz Potential, V Potential, V Potential, V
(Partner 1) (Partner 2) (Partner 3)
Yellow
Green
Blue
Violet
Ultraviolet