n - Wits Structural Chemistry

If light shines on the surface of a metal electrons may beejected from the metal. This is the photoelectric effect. The electrons will only be ejected if the frequency of the lightis greater than a certain minimum frequency (the thresholdfrequency). Below the threshold frequency, no electrons areejected. Above the threshold frequency, the number of electronsejected increases as the intensity of the light increases. The kinetic energy of the emitted electrons increases as thefrequency of the light increases.