Electrons are emitted from a certain metal with a maximum kinetic energy of 2 eV when 6-eV photons are incident on its surface. If photons of twice the wavelength are incident on this metal which one of the following statements is true?
A)No electrons will be emitted.
B)Electrons will be emitted with a maximum kinetic energy of 3 eV.
C)Electrons will be emitted with a maximum kinetic energy of 6 eV.
D)Electrons will be emitted with a maximum kinetic energy of 9 eV.
E)Electrons will be emitted with a maximum kinetic energy of 12 eV.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The maximum kinetic energy of electrons emitted from a metal is determined by the energy of the incident photons minus the work function of the metal (the minimum amount of energy required to remove an electron from the surface). In this case, the energy of the incident photons is reduced to half, which means that the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons will also be reduced to half (as the work function of the metal remains the same). Therefore, the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons will be 1 eV, which is less than the minimum energy required for electron emission (2 eV). So, no electrons will be emitted.

Electrons Are Emitted from a Certain Metal with a Maximum