Wave-particle duality

Need to know

What you need to know

• Light consists of discrete energy packets called photons.
• The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency: E = hf.
• The photoelectric effect provides key evidence for the particle nature of light.
• A photon's energy must be greater than the metal's work function (Φ) to eject an electron.
• The maximum KE of a photoelectron depends on frequency, not intensity.

Explanation

Wave-particle duality

1. Light consists of discrete energy packets called photons.
2. The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency: E = hf.
3. The photoelectric effect provides key evidence for the particle nature of light.
4. A photon's energy must be greater than the metal's work function (Φ) to eject an electron.