PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect

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published by the PhET

This interactive simulation allows users to visualize the photoelectric effect experiment and explore how it led to the discovery of the photon model of light. It features a robust variety of tools: choose from five different metals, change the light intensity and/or wavelength of light and view how this affects electron ejection, and change the voltage from -8.0 to 8.0. Output options include graphing current vs. voltage, current vs. light intensity, and electron energy vs. light frequency.

Registered users of PhET also have access to a collection of teacher-contributed lessons, homework, and problem sets. Registration is free. This simulation is part of the Physics Education Technology Project, a growing collection of interactive simulations designed using principles from physics education research and refined based on student interviews.

Editor's Note: A key takeaway from this simulation is that electron ejection only occurs when a certain "threshold frequency" of light is incident on the metal surface. Below this threshold, the photoelectric effect will not happen. The threshold frequency differs for each metal, with sodium on the lower end (longer wavelength) and platinum on the high end (shorter wavelength). NOTE: This simulation meets a specific NGSS Physical Science content standard in Waves: HS-PS4.B.iii -- "Photoelectric materials emit electrons when they absorb light of a high-enough frequency."

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/photoelectric

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Modern Physics - Condensed Matter Quantum Physics - Foundations and Measurements - General	- High School - Lower Undergraduate - Upper Undergraduate	- Instructional Material = Activity = Interactive Simulation

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Physics First - Conceptual Physics - Algebra-based Physics - AP Physics	- Activity	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended User:: Learner
Format:: application/java
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2005 PHET and University of Colorado
Additional information is available.
Keywords:: Particle Model, cathod emission, photoelectric effect, threshold frequency, wave-particle duality, work function
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created September 9, 2006 by Gifford Weber
Record Updated:: February 22, 2025 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: August 11, 2006
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<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=4233">PhET. PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect. Boulder: PhET, August 11, 2006.</a>

AIP Format

(PhET, Boulder, 2005), WWW Document, (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/photoelectric).

AJP/PRST-PER

PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect (PhET, Boulder, 2005), <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/photoelectric>.

APA Format

PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect. (2006, August 11). Retrieved May 12, 2025, from PhET: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/photoelectric

Chicago Format

PhET. PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect. Boulder: PhET, August 11, 2006. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/photoelectric (accessed 12 May 2025).

MLA Format

PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect. Boulder: PhET, 2005. 11 Aug. 2006. 12 May 2025 <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/photoelectric>.

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@misc{ Title = {PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect}, Publisher = {PhET}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {12 May 2025}, Month = {August 11, 2006}, Year = {2005} }

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%T PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect %D August 11, 2006 %I PhET %C Boulder %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/photoelectric %O application/java

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%0 Electronic Source %D August 11, 2006 %T PhET Simulation: Photoelectric Effect %I PhET %V 2025 %N 12 May 2025 %8 August 11, 2006 %9 application/java %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/photoelectric

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