PHYSICS

JAMB 2021 - Question 33

Physics 2021 JAMB Past Questions - Question 33: The wave theory of light CANNOT be used be explain photoelectricity because

Choose the correct answers from the options given.
The wave theory of light CANNOT be used be explain photoelectricity because
A:
B:
C:
D:
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Correct Answer

B

Explanation

the wave theory of light cannot explain the photoelectric effect because according to this theory, the energy of a wave is spread out over the entire wavefront, so increasing the intensity of light should eventually eject electrons regardless of the frequency. However, in the photoelectric effect, increasing the intensity of light only increases the number of ejected electrons, not their kinetic energy. This is in direct contradiction to the wave theory of light, which led to the development of the quantum theory of light to explain the photoelectric effect.