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Photoelectric Effect

This simulation has been used and tested in the classroom, and on multiple computer platforms. The simulation has been refined based on that experience and on student interviews.
Photoelectric Effect Screenshot Download 3,267 kB
Version: 1.10 (change log)
See how light knocks electrons off a metal target, and recreate the experiment that spawned the field of quantum mechanics.

See Below

Teaching Resources

Main Topics

  • Light
  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Photons

Sample Learning Goals

  • Visualize and describe the photoelectric effect experiment.
  • Correctly predict the results of experiments of the photoelectric effect: e.g. how changing the intensity of light will affect the current and the energy of electrons, how changing the wavelength of light will affect the current and the energy of electrons, how changing the voltage of light will affect the current and the energy of electrons, how changing the material of the target will affect the current and the energy of electrons.
  • Describe how these results lead to the photon model of light: e.g. argue that only a photon model of light can explain why, when light is shining on the metal but there is no current, increasing the frequency will lead to a current, but increasing the intensity of light or the voltage between the plates will not.

Tips for Teachers

The teacher's guide (pdf) contains tips created by the PhET team.

Teaching Ideas

Title Authors Level Type Updated
Conductivity: an inquiry activity (also uses other sims) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 CQs
HW
Lab		 7/28/12
Visualization and Visual Illusions SIM Homework This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Intro HW 1/9/11
Intro to Photoelectric Effect Interactive Lecture This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Sam McKagan, Kathy Perkins and Carl Wieman UG-Adv
UG-Intro		 CQs
Demo		 1/9/11
Understanding the Photoelectric Effect This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Sam McKagan, Kathy Perkins, and Carl Wieman UG-Intro
UG-Adv		 HW 4/20/10
Determination of Planck's Constant Mike Mikhaiel HS Lab 9/27/13
Photoelectric Effect MEHMET EMIN KALE HS Lab 6/8/13
Interactive Photoelectric Effect Lab Bob Schaefer HS Lab 4/18/13
Shine a Light Dean Baird, Paul G. Hewitt UG-Intro
HS		 Lab 5/7/11
Photoelectric Effect Pauline Seales HS Lab 8/2/10
photoelectric effect David Carroll UG-Intro
HS		 Lab 4/27/10
The Photoelectric Effect and Work Functions Robert Pirrie HS Lab 1/14/10
How to add Instruction set in Photoelectric Expt. Pravin Joshi UG-Intro Lab 11/2/09
The Photoelectric Effect David Carroll HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Lab		 6/18/09
Photoelectric Effect Virtual Experiment Paul Longwell HS Lab 2/19/09
Photoelectic Effect PhET Lab Chris Bires UG-Intro
HS		 HW
Lab		 3/19/13
The Photoelectric Effect and Work Functions Robert Pirrie, Gary Bent HS Lab 1/13/09
Photoelectric effect Jeff Bourne UG-Intro Lab 10/9/07
The Photoelectric Effect Andrzej Sokolowski HS Lab 4/25/07
Photoelectric Effect curt miller, Donald Collins HS Lab 9/18/07
Photoelectric Effect Activity Donald Collins, Dennis Robbins UG-Intro Lab 8/8/11
Foto-elektrisch effect Loran de Vries HS Lab 11/24/13
광전효과 사용지침서 이화국(Wha Kuk Lee) HS
UG-Intro		 Other
Lab		 5/8/13

You can submit your own ideas and activities.

Translated Versions:

Language Language (Translated) Simulation Title
Albanian shqipe Efekti Fotoelektrik Run Now
Arabic العربية ظاهرة التأثير الكهروضوئي Run Now
Arabic, Saudi Arabia العربية (السعودية) ظاهرة التأثير الكهروضوئي Run Now
Armenian Armenian Ֆոտոէլեկտրական էֆեկտ Run Now
Basque Basque Efektu fotoelektrikoa Run Now
Bosnian Bosnian FOTOELEKTRIČNI EFEKAT Run Now
Brazilian Portuguese português (Brasil) Efeito Fotoelétrico Run Now
Catalan català Efecte fotoelèctric Run Now
Chinese - Simplified 中文 (中国) 光电效应 Run Now
Chinese - Traditional 中文 (台灣) Photoelectric Effect 光電效應 Run Now
Croatian hrvatski Fotoelektrični efekt Run Now
Czech čeština Fotoelektrický efekt Run Now
Danish Dansk Fotoelektrisk effekt Run Now
Dutch Nederlands Fotoelektrisch effect Run Now
Estonian Eesti Fotoelektriline efekt Run Now
Finnish suomi Valosähköinen ilmiö Run Now
French français Effet Photoélectrique Run Now
Friulian fu L'efiet fotoeletric Run Now
Galician Gallegan Efecto Fotoeléctrico Run Now
Georgian Georgian ფოტოელექტრიკული ეფექტები Run Now
German Deutsch Der photoelektrische Effekt Run Now
Greek Ελληνικά Φωτοηλεκτρικό φαινόμενο Run Now
Hebrew עברית האפקט הפוטואלקטרי Run Now
Hungarian magyar Fotoeffektus Run Now
Indonesian Bahasa Indonesia Efek Fotolistrik Run Now
Italian italiano L'Effetto Fotoelettrico Run Now
Japanese 日本語 光電効果 Run Now
Kannada Kannada ದ್ಯುತಿ ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ ಪರಿಣಾಮ Run Now
Korean 한국어 광전효과 Run Now
Macedonian македонски Фотоелектричен ефект Run Now
Marathi Marathi प्रकाशविद्युत परिणाम Run Now
Norwegian Bokmal Norwegian Bokmål Fotoelektrisk Effekt Run Now
Persian Persian اثر فوتوالکتریک Run Now
Polish polski Efekt fotoelektryczny Run Now
Portuguese português O Efeito Fotoeléctrico Run Now
Romanian română Efectul fotoelectric Run Now
Russian русский Фотоэффект Run Now
Serbian Српски ФОТОЕЛЕКТРИЧНИ ЕФЕКАТ Run Now
Slovak Slovenčina Fotoelektrický jav Run Now
Spanish español El Efecto Fotoeléctrico Run Now
Spanish (Peru) español (Perú) Efecto Fotoeléctrico Run Now
Swedish svenska Fotoelektrisk effekt Run Now
Tamil Tamil ஒளிமின் விளைவு Run Now
Thai ไทย ปรากฏการณ์โฟโตอิเล็กตริก Run Now
Turkish Türkçe Fotoelektrik olay Run Now
Turkmen Turkmen Fotoelektriki effekt Run Now
Ukrainian українська Фотоефект Run Now
Vietnamese Tiếng Việt Hiệu ứng Quang điện Run Now

Software Requirements

Windows Macintosh Linux
Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later 		OS 10.5 or later
Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later 		Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Ron LeMaster (developer)
  • Sam McKagan
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Carl Wieman
  • Interviewer: Danielle Harlow
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