key

Name: ___________________________________________________________ Period: _________

Lecture 10
Photoelectric Effect (AP Chemistry Topic 3.12)
Student Notes

Enduring Understanding Learning Objective(s)

• Spectroscopy can determine the structure and • Explain the properties of an absorbed or emitted
concentration in a mixture of a chemical species. photon in relationship to an electronic transition in an
atom or molecule.

Photons

Einstein proposed that electromagnetic radiation could be modeled as discrete “packets”

quantum
A photon is a discrete _________________, or packet of electromagnetic energy

Recall that the frequency and wavelength of light are

inversely related. The proportionality constant is the speed c Speed of light 2.998 x 108 m/s
of light.

c = λ𝛎 λ wavelength nm
You can use this wave equation to calculate the wavelength
or frequency of an electromagnetic wave when given the 𝛎 frequency Hz
other quantity

You will often need 1.Determine the frequency of light whose

to use metric wavelength is 732 nm.
prefixes in these 732hm 159m = 7-32×10-7m
calculations. The 1 nm

most common prefix

you should know is
2-998×-10%15
g-
nano because ✓ =
=

wavelengths of light 7. 32 ✗ 10 -7m

""
are often described =
4.10×10 Hz
in nanometers

2. What is the wavelength, in nm, of 3. What is the wavelength of a 109.6 4. What is the frequency of a 7.43 x
1.28 x 1017 Hz wave? MHz wave? 10-5 m wave?
2.998 ✗ 108m15 109.6MHz 10° H2 2.998×108 Mls
✗ =
% =

1.28×10175
'
1MHz g- =

7.43×10-5 m

✗= 2.34×10-9 m
=
/ '
096×108 HZ 10kHz
✓ = 4.03 ✗

2.998×108 m/s
2. 34×10-9 m 1hm
✗=
g- =

I. 096×108 Hz
am
-

10
✗= 2.735M
= 2.34hm
 The Photoelectric Effect

When light shines on the surface of metal, electrons can be

ejected
_________________ from the surface. This is known as
the photoelectric effect.

The photoelectric effect is based on light having wave-like

and particle-like properties, as predicted by Albert Einstein.
composed of photons
Light is ______________________________.

When matter interacts with radiation from the

absorbed or
electromagnetic spectrum, energy is _________________
emitted
________________. We consider the radiation to consist of
photons and the energy of the photon is directly
proportional to the frequency of the radiation:
E = energy In chemistry, we prefer to work with wavelength. We can
h = Planck’s constant combine these two equations and derive another equation
v = frequency for energy that uses wavelength:
Note: The energy of a photon is entirely based on C = XV
E-
¥
=
frequency and wavelength. Changing the intensity of
light (the brightness) would NOT change the amount a- %
of energy

Electron Configurations

lowest energy
The Ground State is the _________________________
state
______________for electrons in an atom.

absorbs energy
If an electron ______________________________and
higher energy level it is
jumps to a __________________________________,
excited state
said to be in an ___________________________.

Electronic Transitions

absorb energy
In order to move from a ground state to an excited state, an electron must _____________________________in the
absorption
form of a photon. This produces an ________________________spectrum.

energy is released
When an electron moves from an excited state back to its ground state, ___________________________________in
emission spectrum
the form of a photon. This yields an _______________
 The Hydrogen Atom Emission Spectrum

The energy contained in the photon corresponds to the change in energy that the atom experiences when going
from the excited state to the lower state

Only certain
When we take a sample of hydrogen atoms and put a lot of energy into the system, ______________________
colors
______________(types of photons) are produced so we know that only certain energy changes are occurring.

discrete energy levels In fact, the

This leads to the conclusion that hydrogen has __________________________________________.
energy level of all atoms is quantized.

Emission of Energy by Atoms- The Flame Test

Heat from the flames causes the atom to absorb energy and become excited. Some of this excess energy is released in
the form of light. The atom moves to a lower energy state as it releases a photon of light.
 Electronic Transitions

Since the electron is absorbing or releasing a photon, we

can calculate the amount of energy absorbed or released
during an electronic transition using the equation

E = h𝛎 or E = hc/λ

Energy will be in units of Joules (J)

5. A photon with a wavelength of 2.5 x 10-7 m will eject an electron from a piece of gold. How much energy
does this photon possess?
108m15 )
E=
¥ = (6.626×10-34) g) ( 2.998 ✗

2.5×10-7 M " "

=
7.9×10 J

6. When a metal surface is exposed to light with increasing frequency and energy of photons, electrons first
begin to be ejected from the metal when the energy of the photons is 3.3 x 10 －19 J.

a. What is the frequency of light with energy 3.3 x 10 －19 J?

✓ = 3. 3 ✗ 1519J "
= =
5.0×10 Hz
6.626×10-34 g-g

b. Calculate the wavelength for light with energy of 3.3x10 -19J.

2.998 108m15 -7m
✗=
g-
✗
= = 6.0×10
5. 0×1014 Hz
6. 0×10-7 m 1hm = 600hm
10-9 m
c. What is the color of this light?
orange
7. CuSO4 solutions absorb light at a wavelength of 635 nm. Calculate the approximate energy of one photon
of this light.
635 159m
6-35×10-7m
nm
=
1hm

E=h÷=(6.626×10-341s35×10-7
)(2.998×108
6. m
mls)
= 3.13×10 -19J
Photoelectric Effect
▪ Recall that the photoelectric effect involves shining enough light (photons) so that the electrons are ejected from
the surface of the atom
▪ Also recall that only a certain amount of energy is required to remove the electron
conserved so any of the energy that did not go into
▪ All of the energy of the incoming radiation must be __________________
breaking the electron free from the nucleus will be converted into kinetic energy for the ejected electron.
▪ Photon Energy = Binding Energy (of electron) + Kinetic Energy (of the ejected electron)
further away from the nucleus require less energy to eject, and thus
▪ Electrons that were originally _______________________
moving faster after ejection.
will be ___________________________