Emission and

Absorption of
Light
 What is Absorption and
Emission?
• Absorption is when electrons in a substance
take up energy from electromagnetic
radiation or types of light. Emission is when
a substance gives off electromagnetic
radiation. The electromagnetic radiation in
both cases has some type of energy with a
specific wavelength.
 Types of Emission

Spontaneous Emission – The electron naturally falls

to a lower energy level and emits a photon. Example:
Glow of a heated object.

Stimulated Emission – A photon of the same energy

as the gap between energy levels can induce an
electron to drop and emit an identical photon. This is
the principle behind lasers.
 Example of Light Emission

• Incandescence (hot objects like the sun, light

bulbs)
• Fluorescence (UV light absorbed and re-
emitted at a longer wavelength)
• Phosphorescence (similar to fluorescence, but
emission continues after the excitation stops)
• Chemiluminescence (light from chemical
reactions, e.g., glow sticks)
 Absorption of Light
• Absorption occurs when an atom or molecule
absorbs a photon, causing an electron to jump to
a higher energy level.
Key Features:
• The photon must have exactly the right energy
(wavelength) to be absorbed.
• Absorption spectra appear as dark lines in a
continuous spectrum because specific
wavelengths are removed.
 Absorption of Light
• Examples of Light Absorption:
• Photosynthesis (chlorophyll absorbs
light to drive chemical reactions)
• Sunscreen (absorbs harmful UV
radiation)
• Colored objects (they absorb certain
wavelengths and reflect others)
 Emission vs. Absorption Spectra

Emission Spectrum: Bright

lines on a dark background,
showing wavelengths emitted by
an atom.

Absorption Spectrum: Dark

lines on a continuous spectrum,
showing wavelengths absorbed
by an atom.
 Photoelectric Effect
What is Photoelectric Effect?
The photoelectric effect is a
phenomenon in which electrons are
ejected from the surface of a metal
when light is incident on it. These
ejected electrons are called
photoelectrons.
 Photoelectric Effect
What is Photoelectric Effect?
The process through which
photoelectrons are ejected from the
surface of the metal due to the action of
light is commonly referred to
as photoemission.
Photoelectric Effect
 Explanation of the
Photoelectric Effect
When light with a high enough frequency (energy)
shines on a metal surface:
1. Photons transfer energy to the electrons in the
metal.
2. If the energy of the photon is greater than the work
function (minimum energy needed to remove an
electron), the electron is ejected.
3. If the photon’s energy is too low, no electrons are
emitted—regardless of the intensity of the light.
Einstein’s Photoelectric
Equation
 Key Observation from
the Photoelectric Effect
• No electrons are emitted if the frequency is
below a threshold, no matter how intense the light.
• Increasing light intensity increases the number
of emitted electrons but does not affect their
energy.
• Increasing light frequency increases the kinetic
energy of emitted electrons.
• Instantaneous emission—there is no time delay in
electron ejection.
 Implications of the
Photoelectric Effect
• Provided strong evidence that light behaves as
particles (photons) rather than just waves.
• Led to the development of quantum mechanics
and the idea that energy is quantized.
• Helped in understanding semiconductor physics,
leading to modern technologies like solar cells,
photodetectors, and night vision devices.
 History of Photoelectric
Effect
The photoelectric effect was first
introduced by Wilhelm Ludwig Franz
Hallwachs in the year 1887, and the
experimental verification was done
by Heinrich Rudolf Hertz.
 History of Photoelectric
Effect
They observed that when a surface
is exposed to electromagnetic
radiation at a higher threshold
frequency, the radiation is absorbed,
and the electrons are emitted.
 History of Photoelectric
Effect
 Light incident on the surface of a
metal in the photoelectric effect
causes electrons to be ejected.
 The electron ejected due to the
photoelectric effect is called a
photoelectron and is denoted by e–
 History of Photoelectric
Effect
 The current produced as a result
of the ejected electrons is called
photoelectric current.
 Explaining the
Photoelectric Effect: The
Concept of Photons
The photoelectric effect can
be fully understood through the
concept of photons, introduced
by Albert Einstein in 1905
 Explaining the
Photoelectric Effect: The
Concept of Photons
 He proposed that light is not just a
wave but is also made up of discrete
energy packets called photons.
 This idea revolutionized physics and
led to the development of quantum
mechanics.
 What is a Photon?
 A photon is a fundamental particle of light
that carries energy but has no mass. The
energy of a photon is given by:
 How do photons explain
the Photoelectric Effect?
• Energy Transfer: When a photon strikes a metal surface, it transfers
its energy to an electron.
• Threshold Frequency (fthreshold​): Each metal has a minimum
required frequency below which photons don’t have enough energy to
eject electrons.
• Excess Energy Becomes Kinetic Energy: If a photon has more
energy than needed to free the electron, the extra energy is converted
into the electron’s kinetic energy.
How do photons explain
the Photoelectric Effect?
 Key Features of Photon
Behavior in the Photoelectric
Effect
• Light behaves as particles (photons), not
just waves.
• Increasing light intensity increases the
number of ejected electrons but not their
energy.
• Increasing light frequency increases the
energy of ejected electrons.
• There is no delay—the effect is
instantaneous.
 Threshold Energy for the
Photoelectric Effect
The threshold energy (or work
function) is the minimum energy
required for a photon to eject an
electron from a metal surface. If the
photon’s energy is less than this
threshold energy, no electrons will be
ejected, no matter how intense or
bright the light is.
 Understanding Threshold Energy
(Work Function)
 Each metal has a specific work
function, denoted by ϕ, which is
the minimum energy needed to free
an electron from the metal’s
surface. The work function depends
on the material of the metal and its
atomic structure.
 Understanding Threshold Energy
(Work Function)
•If the photon energy (given by E=hf, where f
is the frequency of light) is greater than or
equal to the work function, an electron will be
ejected.
•If the photon energy is less than the work
function, no electron will be emitted regardless
of the light intensity.
Understanding Threshold Energy
(Work Function)
 Understanding Threshold Energy
(Work Function)

This equation tells us that for an electron to be

ejected from the metal, the frequency of the incident
light must be greater than or equal to a
threshold frequency, fthreshold​, which is related to
the work function by:
 What happens if the Photon Energy
is Greater than the Work Function?

If the energy of the photon exceeds the work

function (Ephoton > ϕ):
The excess energy (difference between photon
energy and work function) is converted into the
kinetic energy of the ejected electron.
The faster the ejected electron, the higher its
kinetic energy.
Example:
 Relationship between the Frequency of the
Incident Photon and the Kinetic Energy of
the Emitted Photoelectron
The kinetic energy of the emitted photoelectron from the
photoelectric effect is directly related to the frequency of
the incident photon. This relationship is explained by
Einstein’s photoelectric equation:
 Breaking It Down:

 Photon Energy (Ephoton​):

The energy of a photon is given by E=hf,
where f is the frequency of light. If the
frequency of the incident light is higher,
the photon carries more energy.
 Breaking It Down:
Work Function (ϕ):
The work function is the minimum energy
required to release an electron from the
metal's surface. If the photon’s energy
exceeds this threshold, it can knock an
electron loose.
 Breaking It Down:
Kinetic Energy of the Emitted
Electron:
After the photon’s energy is used to
overcome the work function (i.e., to release
the electron), any excess energy is
transferred to the kinetic energy of the
emitted photoelectron. The faster the
electron, the greater its kinetic energy.
 Breaking It Down:
Thus, the kinetic energy of the emitted electron
depends on how much the photon’s energy
exceeds the work function. If the photon energy
is only slightly greater than the work function,
the emitted electron will have low kinetic
energy. If the photon energy is much higher,
the electron will have higher kinetic energy.
Sample Problem
Sample Problem