Photoelectrons are ejected when monochromatic light shines on a freshly-prepared (oxide-free) sodium surface. In order to obtain the maximum increase in the number of electrons ejected per second, the experimenter needs to
A) increase the frequency of the light.
B) increase the intensity of the light.
C) increase the area illuminated by the light.
D) do all of the above.
E) do only (b) and (c) above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Increasing the intensity of the light increases the number of photons hitting the surface per second, which directly increases the number of electrons ejected per second. Increasing the area illuminated also increases the number of electrons ejected by providing more surface area for the light to interact with. Changing the frequency (option A) affects the energy of the ejected electrons but not the number of electrons ejected per second.

Photoelectrons Are Ejected When Monochromatic Light Shines on a Freshly-Prepared