Question

The stopping potential in the context of the photoelectric effect depends on the following property of incident electromagnetic radiation:

• A. Amplitude
• B. Phase
• C. Frequency
• D. Intensity

Answer 1

The correct option is C

Frequency

1. The photoelectric effect is defined as a phenomenon of emission of electrons from a metal surface when light is incident on a metal surface.
2. These emitted electrons are known as photoelectrons.
3. The energy of a photoelectron is defined as $E=h\nu$ where $h=$ is Planck's constant, $\nu =$is the frequency of incident light.
4. From the above formula, it is clear that the energy of an ejected electron is directly proportional to the frequency of incident light.
5. Stopping potential is the minimum amount of negative voltage required to be applied to an anode to stop the electron from emitting.
6. As the frequency of incident light is increasing the amount of stopping potential required to stop photoelectrons is increasing due to the fact that the kinetic energy of emitted electrons increases as the frequency increases.
7. Thus, stopping potential changes linearly with the frequency of incident radiation.
8. The graph between stopping potential and frequency
   

Hence option C is the correct answer.