Exam-style question
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Why was wave theory alone insufficient to explain the photoelectric effect?.
- A.It could not account for the emission of electrons at low frequencies
- B.It could not explain the instantaneous emission of electrons
- C.It could not explain the dependence on light intensity
- D.It could not account for the energy of emitted electrons
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- It could not explain the instantaneous emission of electrons
Explanation
Why this works
Wave theory suggested that energy was spread out, which could not explain why electrons were emitted immediately when light of sufficient frequency was applied, leading to the photon theory's acceptance.
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