explain how the photoelectric effect supports a particle model of electromagnetic radiation. As part of your response, evaluate the idea that radiation frequency and intensity highlight how the wave model is inadequate to explain the photoelectric effect

The photoelectric effect occurs when photons of light strike a metal surface and eject electrons from it. This phenomenon can be explained by the particle model of electromagnetic radiation, as proposed by Albert Einstein in 1905. According to this model, light is composed of particles called photons, which have both wave-like and particle-like properties.

In the photoelectric effect, the energy of the ejected electrons is directly proportional to the frequency of the incident light. This finding supports the particle model of electromagnetic radiation because the energy of a photon is directly related to its frequency. This means that higher frequency light contains more energetic photons, which can eject electrons with higher kinetic energy.

Furthermore, the photoelectric effect also shows that the intensity of the light (i.e. the number of photons per unit time) does not affect the energy of the ejected electrons, but rather the number of electrons ejected. This observation contradicts the wave model of light, which would predict that increasing the intensity of light would increase the energy of the ejected electrons.

Therefore, the photoelectric effect provides strong evidence in favor of the particle model of electromagnetic radiation. The fact that the frequency of light determines the energy of the ejected electrons, while the intensity of light only affects the number of electrons ejected, highlights how the wave model is inadequate to fully explain this phenomenon.