Exam-style question
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How does heating a metal lead to the release of electrons?.
- A.It increases the mass of the electrons
- B.It provides energy to overcome the work function
- C.It decreases the resistance of the metal
- D.It ionizes the metal atoms
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- It provides energy to overcome the work function
Explanation
Why this works
Heating a metal increases the kinetic energy of its electrons, allowing them to gain enough energy to overcome the work function, which is the minimum energy needed to release an electron from the surface of the metal.
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