Final answer:
To calculate the initial kinetic energy of an electron emitted from a metal surface in a photoelectric effect experiment, the equation KE = hf - ϕ is used, where hf is the energy of the incoming photon and ϕ is the work function of the metal. The frequency of the incident light is given and the work function is in eV, allowing the calculation to be performed directly.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the initial kinetic energy of an electron that is emitted from the metal surface due to the photoelectric effect, we can use the formula KE = hf - ϕ, where KE is the kinetic energy, h is Planck's constant, f is the frequency of the incident light, and ϕ is the work function of the metal.
The energy of the incident photon (hf) is calculated with Planck's constant (h = 6.626 x 10-34 J s) and the given frequency (9.08 x 1014 Hz).
The work function is given as 1.87 eV; to use it in the equation, we first convert it to joules (1 eV = 1.602 x 10-19 J). However, since the answer needs to be in electron volts, we can skip this conversion and directly utilize the values as provided.
Calculating the kinetic energy: KE = (6.626 x 10-34 J s * 9.08 x 1014 Hz) / (1.602 x 10-19 J/eV) - 1.87 eV.
Evaluating this expression gives the kinetic energy in eV. If the calculated KE is negative, it means no electron is emitted and the answer would be 0 eV.