Final answer:
The maximum kinetic energy of electrons ejected from gold due to the photoelectric effect when light consists of 5.6 eV photons is 0.5 eV, after subtracting the work function of gold (5.1 eV) from the photon energy.
Therefore, the correct answer is: option d) 0.5 ev
Step-by-step explanation:
When light consisting of photons with a given energy is incident on a piece of metal, the photoelectric effect can occur. For the photoelectric effect to take place, the energy of the photons must be greater than the work function of the metal.
The work function is the minimum energy required to remove an electron from the surface of the metal. The maximum kinetic energy (KE) of the ejected photoelectrons is given by the equation KE = hν - Φ, where hν is the energy of the incident photons and Φ is the work function of the metal.
In the given problem, the energy of the incident photons is 5.6 eV, and the work function of gold is 5.1 eV. Therefore, the maximum kinetic energy of the ejected electrons can be calculated as follows:
- Energy of incident photons (hν): 5.6 eV
- Work function of gold (Φ): 5.1 eV
- Maximum kinetic energy (KE): 5.6 eV - 5.1 eV = 0.5 eV
Thus, the correct answer to the question of what is the maximum kinetic energy of the ejected electrons is (d) 0.5 eV.