Question

What is saturation current in the photoelectric effect?

Answer 1

1. The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which light with a frequency above threshold frequency causes electrons to be ejected from a metal's surface. Photoelectrons are the electrons that are ejected.
2. Photoemission is the term used to describe the process by which photoelectrons are emitted from the metal's surface due to the action of light.
3. In the photoelectric effect, the electrons at the metal's surface absorb energy from incident light and break free of the metal's nuclei's attracting pull.
   
4. The experimental graph for studying the photoelectric effect at constant intensity and frequency is depicted above.
   1. The number of electrons ejected per second in the photoelectric effect is related to the intensity of the incident light. If the light intensity remains constant, the current in the circuit grows as the voltage rises up to a certain point, after which the current owing to photoelectrons saturates.
   2. This maximum value of photoelectric current is defined as the saturation current.
   3. I₁, I₂, and I₃ are the saturation current at different intensities of light.