Second Year Physics study material 2015

Modern physics possess five important chapters

1. Dual nature of Radiation and Matter
2. Atoms
3. Nuclei
4. Semi conductor electronics
5. Communication systems
Blue print of marks for PUC and CBSE board are as follows

CBSE Board:
Marks weightage
11

12

10

10
8
6

5
3

Marks weightage

2
0
Dual nature of
radiation and matter

Atoms and nuclie

Electronic devices

Communication
systems

For PUC board Karnataka

Marks weightage
11

10

5
3
Marks weightage
Atoms and nuclie

Electronic devices

Communication
systems

Dual nature of
radiation and
matter

Page

12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Second Year Physics study material 2015

Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter

1. Write a short note on Electronic emissions?

A) Electrons bound to nucleus in an atom. Some energy should be given to break the
bond between nucleus and electron. The minimum amount of energy should be
supplied to set free the electron from nucleus influence is called work function.
Energy can be supplied by means of three ways to set free the electron
1. Thermionic emission 2. Field emission

3. Photo-electric emission

Thermionic emission: By suitably heating, sufficient thermal energy is Supplied to

free electrons and enable them to come out of metal.
Field emission: By applying strong electric field to the metal, electrons can be pulled
out of the metal
Photo electric emission: When light of suitable frequency suitably illuminates
surface, electrons are emitted from metal surface. Generated electrons are called photo
electrons
2. What is photo electric effect?
A) The phenomenon of emission of electrons from preferably metal surfaces, Exposed to
light energy of suitable frequency is known as Photo electric effect .
3. What are Hallwach and Lenard observations regarding photo electric effect?
A) Hallwach and Lenard studied how photo current varies with
1. Collector plate potential
2. Frequency of incident light
3. Intensity of incident light.

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Hallwach still observed when negatively charged zinc plate connected to emitter plate,
it loosed its charge. When neutral zinc plate connected to emitter plate, it gains
positive charge when positively charged zinc plate connected to emitter plate, its
positive charge further enhanced. By those observations, he concluded negatively
charged particles were emitted from zinc plate under the action of ultraviolet light.

Lenard observed , when ultraviolet radiation were allowed to fall on emitter plate of
an evacuated glass tube enclosing two electrodes , current flows in the circuit. As
soon as ultraviolet radiation stopped, current flow will also stop.

Second Year Physics study material 2015

After the discovery of electron, it is evident that incident light causes electrons to emit
from plate.
4. Which metals emit photo electrons when incident by Ultraviolet light and
Visible light?
A) Metals like Zinc, cadmium, Magnesium respond only to ultraviolet light. Alkali
metals like lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium and Rubidium are sensitive to visible
light.
5. What is photo electric effect? How to study photo electric effect
experimentally?
A) The phenomenon of emission of electrons from preferably metal surfaces, Exposed to
light energy of suitable frequency is known as Photo electric effect .

The experimental setup of photo electric effect is as shown in figure. It consists of a

tube having two electrodes A and C in vacuum. The electrode C is called cathode. it is
photo sensitive material. When light of suitable frequency incident on the plate C,
electrons are emitted.
The Electrode A is anode; the electrons emitted from cathode will be received at this
plate. The tube has a side window made of quartz covered with filter, through which
the incident light of desired wavelength enters the tube and falls on a photosensitive
plate C.

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Electrons are emitted when ultraviolet radiations are made to fall on photosensitive
plate C. These electrons are accelerated towards Anode A when it is at positive
potential with respect to cathode. This flow of electrons from cathode to anode creates

These Plates are connected through a battery through a suitable switch. Plate A can
be brought to positive or negative potential with respect to cathode C.

Second Year Physics study material 2015

electric current to flow in the circuit. This is known as photo electric current. Photo
electric current is measured with micro ammeter connected in series with circuit. The
potential between two plates are measured with the help of Ammeter.
6. Explain briefly the effect on photo electric current with variation in
1. Intensity of incident light

2. Potential difference 3. Effect of frequency?

A) Effect of intensity of incident light on photo electric current :

Photo electric current (number of electrons emitted
per second) is directly proportional to the intensity of
incident radiation, provided the frequency of incident
radiations is greater than threshold frequency
Let a constant potential maintained between plates,
when light of suitable frequency falls on it , photo
electrons are emitted. As the intensity of light
increases by keeping the frequency constant, photo
electric current increases. The relationship is linear.

Effect of potential on photo electric current:

When positive potential of
plateA increases, photo electric
current increases. When positive
potential of plate is further
increased, photo electric current
saturates at a particular value
called Saturation current
When intensity of light
changes, saturation current
value changes with change in
positive potential of plate.

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The Negative voltage at the photo electric current becomes zero is called Stopping
potential . Stopping potential is independent of intensity of incident light.

When potential of plate A becomes negative, most of electrons will repelled and
photo electric current decreases and become zero at certain point. Although
intensity of light changes, Always electric current becomes zero at a single point.

Second Year Physics study material 2015

Conclusions from this:
1. The intensity of incident radiation does not affect the stopping potential
2. Maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons does not depend upon intensity of
incident radiation.
Effect of frequency of incident light:
By keeping intensity of light as constant, using various frequencies of light and
calculated stopping potentials. Saturation current is same for every frequency of light,
as it does not depend on frequency , it only
depends on intensity of light.
Stopping potential changes with frequency of
light. Stopping potential value becomes more
negative for high frequencies. Stopping potential
increases linearly with increase in frequency.
Conclusion:
1. Saturation current does not depend on
frequency of incident light.
2. Maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons
depends on frequency of incident radiation.
7. What are Laws of Photo electric emission?
1. For a given substance , there is a minimum frequency of incident light called
threshold frequency below which no photo electric emission take place ,
whatever the intensity of light may be
2. The number of photo electrons emitted per second is directly proportional to the
intensity of incident light, provided the frequency of incident light is greater
than threshold frequency
3. The maximum kinetic energy of photo electrons increases with the increase in
the frequency of the incident light, provided the frequency of incident light is
greater than threshold frequency
4. The process of photoelectric emission is instantaneous.
8. Does Wave theory of light can explain observations of Photoelectric effect?

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According to wave picture of light , the free electrons at the surface of metal (over
which the beam of radiation falls) absorb the radiant energy continuously. The
greater the intensity of radiation, the greater is the amplitude of electric and magnetic
fields.

A) Wave theory failed to explain observations made by Photoelectric effect.

Second Year Physics study material 2015

Consequently, the greater the intensity the gr
greater
eater should be the energy absorbed by
each electron. In this picture the maximum kinetic energy of photo electrons on the
surface is then expected to increase with intensity.
Also,, no matter what the frequency of ra
radiation (over sufficient time) should be able to
impart enough energy to the electrons, so they exceed the minimum energy needed to
escape from the metal surface. A threshold frequency should not exist.
In the wave picture, there
re should be enough time delay between the light falling on
metallic surface and the emission of electrons from the metallic surface. But it was
observed that electrons are emitted from metallic surface as soon as light is incident
on it.
9. Write a short note on Einstein Expl
Explanation
anation of Photoelectric effect?
effect
A) According
g to Einstein, Energy interacts with matter in the form of packets of energy
called quanta. Later this quanta is termed as a photon
Photon has a energy E = h, its energy depends on frequency.
According to Einstein, photon energy is utilized in two ways, one way is to set free the
electron from the metal surface and it is called work function, and the other one is to
give maximum kinetic energy.

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1. According to Einstein equation , kinetic energy depends on

frequency and it is independent of intensity Because in
Einstein picture , energy interacts in the form of quanta
2. From the above equation it is clear , in order to have positive
kinetic energy value
lue , frequency of light should always be
greater than threshold frequency
3. In this picture , Intensity of light is more means , the number of quanta per
unit time is more , hence more quanta means , more number of photo electrons
will be emitted

Einstein equation satisfactorily explained all the phenomenon of

photo electric effect observations
observations.

Second Year Physics study material 2015

4. In Einstein picture, photon interacts with matter. That is an elementary
process. It is always instantaneous whatever the dim of light may be.

Millikan experimented with lot of alkali metals and found a straight line graph
between stopping potential and frequency. Straight line have slope (h/e), as
charge of electron is known, Plancks constant is calculated perfectly from these
graphs.
V0 = (h/e) (0/e)
Thus Millikan successfully Proved Einstein explanation of photo electric effect.
10. What are the properties of photons?
A) Einstein thought that light has got particle like behavior during its interaction with
matter. According to him, light consists of particles associated with definite amount of
energy and momentum. These particles were termed as Photons.
A photon is a packet of energy given by E = h = hc/.

Where h is the Plancks constant, = wavelength of light, = frequency of light

Properties of photons:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

A photon travels with the speed of light in vacuum

A photon has zero rest mass
Photons do not have any charge , so they are electrically neutral
They are not affected by electric and magnetic fields
Kinetic mass of photon is given by m = E/c2 = h/c2 = h/c
Magnitude of momentum of photon is given by P = E/c = h/c = h/

11. Define photo electric cell?

A) A device which converts light energy in to electrical energy is known as photo

electric cell or photo cell. They are of mainly three types

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Photo electric cells are used in Automatic fire alarms , Automatic Burglar
Alarm , Scanners , Reproduction of sound in cinema films , to locate flaws or
holes in finished goods etc.,

1. Photo emissive cell

2. Photo conductive cell
3. Photo voltaic cell

Second Year Physics study material 2015

12. Explain Debroglie hypothesis?

A) According to Debroglie, Particles like electron, proton and neutron also have
both wave and particle nature. The waves associated with moving particles are
called matter waves and the wavelength is called Debroglie wavelength.
According to quantum theory, energy of photon is given by E = h
According to Einstein mass energy equivalence, the energy of photon is E=
mc2.
mc2 = h
mc2 = hc/
mc = h/

or

= h/mc or = h/p

If instead of photon, we have a material particle of mass m moving with a

velocity v , then
= h/mv
Conclusions from Debroglie hypothesis :
1. Debroglie wavelength is inversely proportional to the velocity of the
particle, if particle moves faster , wavelength of the wave associated with
it is smaller or vice versa
2. If the particle is at rest, then the Debroglie wavelength is infinite.
3. Debroglie wavelength is inversely proportional to mass of particle, thus
the wavelength of a wave due to heavier particle is smaller than due to a
lighter particle.
4. It is independent of the charge on the material particle.
Note: For our daily life objects, the wavelengths associated with those are very
small that is beyond any measurement. Thats why we cannot detect wave like
properties in our daily lives
13. Explain briefly Davisson and Germer Experiment?
A) Davisson and germer performed an experiment to study the wave nature of
electrons. They used the diffraction effects of electron radiation scattered by crystals.

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1. Electron gun: it consists of tungsten filament with barium oxide coating. This
filament acts as an emitter. It is heated by low tension battery to give
thermionic emission. The emitted electrons are accelerated through high

The main components of the set up are

Second Year Physics study material 2015

tension source. A guided cylinder with the hole arranges these electrons in to a
collimated beam.
2. Nickel crystal: The beam of electrons is incident on the Nickel crystal. Atoms of
the crystal scatter the beam in all directions.
3. Detector or collector: It can be moved on circular scale. It is further connected
to a sensitive galvanometer to detect current proportional to the intensity of
electron beam.
By moving the detector on the circular scale at different positions, the intensity of
scattered electron beam is measured for different values of angle of scattering, which
is the angle between the incident and scattered electron beams.
The variation of intensity of the scattered electrons with the angle of scattering is
obtained for different accelerating voltages. For a range of voltages 44V to 68V, it was
noticed that a strong peak appeared in the intensity of the scattered electrons for an
accelerating voltage of 54 V at a scattering angle 50 degrees.
The appearance of peak in a particular direction is due to the constructive interference
of electrons scattered from different layers of the regularly spaced atoms of the
crystals.
The Debroglie wavelength associated with the electrons at voltage 54 V is given by
0.167 nm. From the electron diffraction measurement the wavelength of matter
waves was found to be 0.165 nm.
Thus there is an excellent agreement between the theoretical value and the
experimentally obtained value of Debroglie wavelength. Thus it confirms the wave
nature of matter.

Numerical problems:
Numerical problems will appear from the following areas

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1. Photoelectric effect
2. Debroglie waves

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Second Year Physics study material 2015