Unit 2 Flashcards
State what is meant by ground state
When electrons are in their lowest energy and most stable state
State what is meant by work function.
minimum energy required
to remove electron from metal
What is the work function of a metal
The minimum energy needed by an electron to escape from the metal surface
What was De Broglies hypothesis (2)
De Broglies hypothesis was that wavelength = h/p = h/mv and that matter particles have a duel wave/particle nature because: electrons they can be deflected in an electric/magnetic field (particle) and when accelerated through gaps between atoms in a crystalline graphite target the diffraction pattern shows they can behave like waves.
Particle and wave behaviour of light examples
Particle behaviour of light: photoelectric effect
Wave behaviour of light: refraction and diffraction
Explain the emission spectra and state where it is obtained from
if a gas or vapour emits light due only to de-excitation between atomic energy levels then the light it produces can be displayed as an emission ‘line spectrum’. The lines consist of a few beams of coloured light (the rest is blackness) that are diffracted in different directions by the spectroscope (obtained in labs using helium).
Explain the absorption spectrum and state where it is obtained from
if we send thermal radiation through a non-excited gas then the atoms in the gas will absorb photons in those parts of the spectrum that cause excitation – that light will be missing from the spectrum (this is the absorption spectrum) (obtained from distant starts).
What phenomenon can be used to demonstrate the wave properties of electrons?
Electron diffraction / interference / superposition
In which part of the electromagnetic spectrum are the photons?
Ultraviolet
What is meant by an excited mercury atom?
An electron (in ground state ) has moved in to higher energy level
A fluorescent tube is filled with mercury vapour at low pressure. After mercury atoms have been excited they emit photons. How do the mercury atoms in the fluorescent tube become excited?
Free electrons collide with orbital electrons in atom transferring energy
A fluorescent tube is filled with mercury vapour at low pressure. After mercury atoms have been excited they emit photons.
Why do the excited mercury atoms emit photons of characteristic frequencies?
(mercury) atoms have specific energy levels when electrons change levels they lose an specific amount of energy (photons emitted with specific amount of energy) (leading to photons of) specific frequencies
Calculate the wavelength of electrons travelling at a speed of 2.5 × 105 m s–1.
(use of λ=h/mv)λ=6.63 × 10-34/(9.11 × 10-31×2.5×105)
λ=2.9 × 10-9m
Explain how the coating on the inside of a fluorescent tube emits visible light.
Coating absorbs photons/uv light and re-emits photons of lower energy, longer wavelength and lower frequency
Equation for energy in photon and wavelength
E = hf, f=c/lambda
Equation for threshold frequency
E = phi/h
Equation for Ekmax
Ekmax = hf - phi
Explain why the kinetic energy of the emitted electrons has a maximum value
hf is a set energy available which has equal energy to photons - the energy required to remove the electron varies
Explain with reference to the work function why, if the frequency of the radiation is
below a certain value, electrons are not emitted.
(work function is the) minimum energy needed to release an electron (1)
below a certain frequency the energy of photon is less than
work function
State a unit for work function.
Joule
Light energy is incident on each square millimetre of the surface at a rate of
3.0 × 10–10 J s–1
. The frequency of the light is 1.5 × 1015 Hz.
(i) Calculate the energy of an incident photon.
(use of E = hf)
energy = 6.63 × 10–34 × 1.5 × 1015
energy = 9.9 × 10–19 (J) (1)
Calculate the number of photons incident per second on each square millimetre of
the metal surface.
number of photons per second = 3.0 × 10–10/9.9 × 10–19
number of photons per second = 3.0 × 10^8
In the wave theory model of light, electrons on the surface of a metal absorb energy from a small area of the surface.
(i) The light striking the surface delivers energy to this small area at a rate of
3. 0 × 10–22 J s–1
The minimum energy required to liberate the electron is 6.8 × 10–19 J.
Calculate the minimum time it would take an electron to absorb this amount of
energy.
(time taken = 6.8 × 10–19/3 × 10–22)
time taken = 2.3 × 10^3 s
In practice the time delay calculated in part c (i) does not occur. Explain how this
experimental evidence was used to develop the particle model for the behaviour of
light.
light travels as particles/ photons (1)
(which transfer) energy in discrete packets