Exam-style question
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Why can't wave theory explain the photoelectric effect?.
- A.It does not account for the particle nature of light.
- B.It suggests that light travels faster than sound.
- C.It cannot explain diffraction patterns.
- D.It assumes light has no energy.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- It does not account for the particle nature of light.
Explanation
Why this works
Wave theory fails to explain the photoelectric effect because it cannot account for the observation that electrons are emitted only when light exceeds a certain frequency, regardless of intensity. This indicates that light must have particle-like properties, as energy is quantized in photons.
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