Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Photoelectric Effect usingelements to
produce color wavelengths
Vocabulary: frequency, photoelectric effect, energy, photon, photon flux, wavelength, workfunction
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. Suppose you went bowling, but instead of a bowling ball you rolled a ping pong ball downthe
alley. What do you think would happen?
It would not knock down anything
2. Suppose you rolled a lot of ping pong balls at the bowling pins. Do you think that wouldchange
the results of your experiment? Explain.
It would not change anything
Gizmo Warm-up
The photoelectric effect occurs when tiny packets of light,called
photons, knock electrons away from a metal surface. Only
photons with enough energy are able to dislodge electrons.
In the Photoelectric Effect Gizmo, check that the
Wavelength is 500 nm, the Photon flux is 5 γ/ms, the
Voltage is 0.0 volts, and Potassium is selected. Click Flash
the light to send photons of light (green arrows)toward a
metal plate encased in a vacuum tube.
1. The blue dots on the metal plate are electrons. What happens when the photons hit theelectrons?
It moved the electrons towards the lightbulb
, 2. What happens when the electrons reach the light bulb?
The light balls lit up
When electrons reach the light bulb they complete a circuit, causing the bulb to glow briefly.
Student Exploration: Photoelectric Effect usingelements to
produce color wavelengths
Vocabulary: frequency, photoelectric effect, energy, photon, photon flux, wavelength, workfunction
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. Suppose you went bowling, but instead of a bowling ball you rolled a ping pong ball downthe
alley. What do you think would happen?
It would not knock down anything
2. Suppose you rolled a lot of ping pong balls at the bowling pins. Do you think that wouldchange
the results of your experiment? Explain.
It would not change anything
Gizmo Warm-up
The photoelectric effect occurs when tiny packets of light,called
photons, knock electrons away from a metal surface. Only
photons with enough energy are able to dislodge electrons.
In the Photoelectric Effect Gizmo, check that the
Wavelength is 500 nm, the Photon flux is 5 γ/ms, the
Voltage is 0.0 volts, and Potassium is selected. Click Flash
the light to send photons of light (green arrows)toward a
metal plate encased in a vacuum tube.
1. The blue dots on the metal plate are electrons. What happens when the photons hit theelectrons?
It moved the electrons towards the lightbulb
, 2. What happens when the electrons reach the light bulb?
The light balls lit up
When electrons reach the light bulb they complete a circuit, causing the bulb to glow briefly.
