Unit 1: Topic 6 - Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Question 1

What is the photoelectric effect?

Answer 1

If light’s frequency is high enough, electrons will be emitted from a metal surface when the light strikes it.

Question 2

What is frequency, and how does it relate to the photoelectric effect?

Answer 2

Frequency is the number of waves per second that pass a point in space. If the frequency of light
hitting a piece of metal is low, the metal absorbs the light. If the frequency is high, a specific number of
electrons are ejected from the metal.

Question 3

What determines the position of each peak in a photoelectron spectrum?

Answer 3

The position of each peak is identified by the ionization energy of one or more
electrons. The height represents the ratio of electrons in each level and orbital.

Question 4

What determines the height (intensity) of each peak in a photoelectron spectrum?

Answer 4

The height of a peak represents the ratio of the number of electrons in that orbital to
the number in other orbitals.

Question 5

If the peaks in a photoelectron spectrum are the same, it means that they have the same number of what?

Answer 5

Electrons

Question 6

What does PES stand for?

Answer 6

photoelectron spectroscopy

Question 7

What is the x-axis of a photoelectron spectrum?

Answer 7

Binding Energy (MJ/mol)

Question 8

What is the y-axis of a photoelectron spectrum?

Answer 8

the relative number of electrons

Question 9

From right to left on a photoelectron spectrum, it goes from what to what?

Answer 9

low energy to high energy