The photoelectric effect occurs when materials emit electrons when exposed to light. Certain materials are photo sensitive to visible light, and their work function determines the wavelength of light required to release electrons.
Caesium, sodium, rubidium, and potassium are photo sensitive to visible light due to their low work functions, allowing them to release electrons when exposed to visible light.
Cadmium, on the other hand, has a higher work function, meaning it is not photo sensitive to visible light and requires ultraviolet light for the photoelectric effect to occur.
Thus, cadmium is the material that is not photo sensitive to visible light.
The correct option is (D) : Cadmium
Photoelectric emission occurs when a material emits electrons upon absorbing light. For photoemission to occur with visible light, the material must have a low work function.
Alkali metals like caesium, sodium, rubidium, and potassium have low work functions and are photosensitive to visible light.
However, cadmium is a transition metal with a relatively high work function, and it is not sensitive to visible light. Therefore, it does not show a photoelectric effect with visible light.
✅ Correct Option: cadmium
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.