Question

When light with a wavelength of 58.5 nm strikes the surface of tin metal, electrons are ejected with a velocity of 2.43 x 10⁶ m/s. What is the binding energy of the electron to the metal in joules? The mass of the electron is 9.10 x 10⁻³¹ kg.

Answer 1

The binding energy of an electron to tin metal can be found using the photoelectric effect equation, which incorporates the energy of the incident photons, the kinetic energy of the ejected electrons, and Planck's constant.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the binding energy of an electron to tin metal, we need to use the photoelectric effect equation, which relates the kinetic energy of the ejected electrons to the energy of the photons that strike the metal surface:

E(photon) = K.E.(electron) + Binding Energy

The energy of a photon (Ephoton) is given by Ephoton = h∙c/λ, where h is Planck’s constant (6.626 x 10−31 J∙s), c is the speed of light (3 x 108 m/s), and λ is the wavelength of the light. The kinetic energy (K.E.) of an electron is ½mv2, with m being the electron mass (9.10 x 10−31 kg) and v being the velocity of the electron (2.43 x 106 m/s).

By substituting the given values and solving for the binding energy, we can determine the energy required to remove an electron from tin metal. This calculation involves basic physics principles and is commonly performed in photoelectric effect experiments to explore the properties of metals.