The photoelectric effect is the phenomenon of the emission of electrons from a material when it is exposed to electromagnetic radiation, such as visible light or ultraviolet light. This effect was first observed by Heinrich Hertz in 1887 and was explained by Albert Einstein in 1905, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics…
Energy is a property of matter and radiation that can be converted into different forms but cannot be created or destroyed. It is commonly defined as the ability to do work, where work is the product of a force acting on an object and the displacement of that object in the direction of the force.…
Binding energy refers to the energy required to break apart or dissociate a system of particles, such as atoms, molecules, or nuclei, into individual particles or components. It is the energy that holds the particles or components of a system together, overcoming the electrostatic repulsion between the like-charged particles. In nuclear physics, binding energy refers…
An atomic nucleus is the central part of an atom that contains most of the atom’s mass. It is composed of protons and neutrons, which are collectively called nucleons. Protons have a positive charge, while neutrons are neutral. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number and determines the element to…
Polaroids are instant cameras that were first introduced by the Polaroid Corporation in the late 1940s. The cameras produce a physical print of the photograph immediately after it is taken, which sets them apart from traditional cameras that require film to be developed before the image can be seen. Polaroids work by using a special…
Plane polarized light is a type of light in which the electric field oscillates in a single plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation. This means that the light waves are all vibrating in the same direction, which gives them a distinct orientation. There are several ways to produce polarized light, such as passing unpolarized…
Diffraction is the bending and spreading of waves as they pass through an aperture or around an obstacle. When a wave, such as light, passes through a narrow slit, the wave is diffracted and spreads out, producing a pattern of alternating bright and dark fringes on a screen placed behind the slit. This is known…
When two mirrors are placed facing each other, an infinite number of reflections can be seen, creating a series of smaller and smaller images. This effect is called a mirror maze or a hall of mirrors. When three mirrors are placed together in a triangular formation, the images that are reflected create a complex pattern.…
When light passes through a prism, it undergoes dispersion, which means that the different colors of light that make up white light are separated and spread out. This happens because each color of light has a slightly different wavelength and therefore bends at a slightly different angle as it enters and exits the prism. The…
Total internal reflection is a phenomenon that occurs when a light ray passes from a medium with a higher refractive index to a medium with a lower refractive index at an angle greater than the critical angle. When this happens, the light ray is reflected back into the higher refractive index medium rather than being…
