Material Detail

This Java applet simulates an experiment for the determination of the Planck constant and the work function: A single spectral line is filtered out from the light of a mercury lamp. This light strikes the cathode (C) of a photoelectric cell and causes the emission of electrons (or not). In order to find the maximal kinetic energy of the ejected electrons it is necessary to enlarge a retarding voltage by means of a potentiometer connection so much that no more electrons arrive at the anode (A). The blue coloured meter indicates the size of this retarding voltage. You can see from the red coloured meter whether electrons reach the anode.

Disciplines:

• Science and Technology  / Physics  / Modern Physics

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