Photoelectric Effect

This interactive simulator explores Photoelectric Effect in Electricity & Magnetism. E = hc/λ vs φ, K_max, V_s; I vs λ and vs intensity (model). Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Best once you already know the basic definitions and want to build intuition. Typical context: Electricity & Magnetism.

Key terms

  • photoelectric
  • effect
  • electricity
  • magnetism

Live graphs

How it works

Light on a metal ejects electrons only when photon energy exceeds the work function φ. The threshold wavelength is λ₀ = hc/φ and frequency ν₀ = φ/h. Above threshold, maximum kinetic energy grows with frequency (K_max = hν − φ) while the photocurrent scales with light intensity — a simple classical wave picture cannot explain the threshold.

Key equations

E = hν = hc/λ (here E in eV, λ in nm, hc ≈ 1240 eV·nm)
K_max = E − φ when E > φ ; V_s = K_max / e