Einstein's Explanation of the Photoelectric Effect:
Einstein explained the photoelectric effect on the basis of Planck’s quantum theory, where light travels in the form of small bundles of energy called photons.
The energy of each photon is hν, where:
The number of photons in a beam of light determines the intensity of the incident light.When a photon strikes a metal surface, it transfers its total energy hν to a free electron in the metal.A part of this energy is used to eject the electron from the metal, and this required energy is called the work function.The remaining energy is carried by the ejected electron as its kinetic energy.
When light shines on a metal, electrons can be ejected from the surface of the metal in a phenomenon known as the photoelectric effect. This process is also often referred to as photoemission, and the electrons that are ejected from the metal are called photoelectrons.
According to Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect :
The energy of photon = energy needed to remove an electron + kinetic energy of the emitted electron
i.e. hν = W + E
Where,