1. Lecture 15: Electromagnetic Radiation
Reading: Zumdahl 12.1, 12.2
Outline
The nature of electromagnetic radiation.
Light as energy.
The workfunction of metals.

2. Electromagnetic Radiation
Electromagnetic radiation or “light” is a form of energy.
Has both electric (E) and magnetic (H) components.
Characterized by:
Wavelength (l)
Amplitude (A)

3. Electromagnetic Radiation (cont.)

4. Electromagnetic Radiation (cont.)
Wavelength (l): The distance between two consecutive peaks in the wave.
Increasing Wavelength
l1 > l2 > l3
Unit: length (m)

5. Electromagnetic Radiation (cont.)
Frequency (n): The number of waves (or cycles) that pass a given point in space per second.
Decreasing Frequency
n1 < n2 < n3
Units: 1/time (1/sec)

6. Electromagnetic Radiation (cont.)
The product of wavelength (l) and frequency (n) is a constant.
(l)(n) = c
Speed of light
c = 3 x 108 m/s

7. Electromagnetic Radiation (cont.)
We classify electromagnetic radiation by wavelength.
Visible radiation takes up only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

8. What statement is true when comparing red light to blue light?
A. Red light travels at a greater speed than blue light.
B. Blue light travels at greater speed than red light.
C. The wavelength of blue light is longer.
D. The wavelength of red light is longer.

9. Light as Energy
For times <1900, it was assumed that energy and matter were not the same.
The interaction of light with matter was one of the first examples where the separation of energy and matter fell apart.

10. Light as Energy (cont.)
Planck’s experiments on light emitted from a solid heated to “incandescence”.
As body is heated, intensity
increases, and peak wavelength
shifts to smaller wavelengths.
Can “classical” physics
reproduce this observation?

11. Light as Energy (cont.)
Comparison of experiment to the “classical” prediction:
Classical prediction is
for significantly higher
intensity as smaller
wavelengths than what
is observed.
“The Ultraviolet Catastrophe”

12. Light as Energy (cont.) DE = nhn
Planck found that in order to model this behavior, one has to envision that energy (in the form of light) is lost in integer values according to:
DE = nhn
frequency
Energy Change
n = 1, 2, 3 (integers)
h = Planck’s constant = x J.s

13. Light as Energy (cont.) Ephoton = hn
In general the relationship between frequency and “photon” energy is
Ephoton = hn
• Example: What is the energy of a 500 nm photon?
n = c/l = (3x108 m/s)/(5.0 x 10-7 m)
n = 6 x /s
E = h n =(6.626 x J.s)(6 x /s) = 4 x J

14. Which type of photon will have the largest energy?
A. Ultraviolet
C. Microwave
B. X-Ray
D. Visible

15. Waves vs. Particles
We began our discussion by defining light in terms of wave-like properties.
But Planck’s relationships suggest that light can be thought of as a series of energy “packets” or photons.

16. The Photoelectric Effect
• Shine light on a metal and observe
electrons that are released.
• Find that one needs a minimum
amount of photon energy to see
electrons (“no”).
• Also find that for n ≥ no,
number of electrons increases
linearly with light intensity .

17. The Photoelectric Effect (cont.)

18. The Photoelectric Effect (cont.)
• Finally, notice that as frequency
of incident light is increased,
kinetic energy of emitted e-
increases linearly.
F = energy needed to release e-
• Light apparently behaves as a particle.

19. The Photoelectric Effect (cont.)
• For Na with F = 4.4 x J,
what wavelength corresponds to no?
hn = F = 4.4 x J
hc/l = 4.4 x J
l = 4.52 x 10-7 m = 452 nm

20. In a workfunction experiment using 300 nm light, the electrons ejected from Potassium (K) have a greater velocity that those ejected from Sodium (Na). Therefore:
A. FNa > FK
C. FK = FNa
B. FK > FNa
D. FK = 0

21. Interference of Light
• Shine light through a crystal and look at pattern
of scattering.
• Diffraction can only be explained by treating light
as a wave instead of a particle.

22. Summary We have seen experimental examples where
light behaves both as a particle and as a wave.
This is referred to as “wave-particle” duality.
Wave-particle duality is not limited to light!
All matter demonstrates this behavior.
Need something more than classical physics to describe such behavior….quantum mechanics!