The photoelectric effect was proposed by Einstein. Albert Einstein, in 1905, explained the phenomenon where photons of light eject electrons from a material’s surface. This theory helped establish the concept of quantized energy of light and the particle-like nature of light, contributing significantly to the development of quantum mechanics and modern physics.
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The photoelectric effect was proposed by Einstein (Option [C]). In 1905, Albert Einstein provided a groundbreaking explanation for the photoelectric effect, where electrons are ejected from a material’s surface when illuminated by light. He proposed that light consists of discrete packets of energy called photons, and each photon transfers its energy to an electron, enabling it to escape from the material. This theory introduced the concept of the photon as a quantum of light and challenged the classical wave theory of light.
Options [A] Compton, [B] Maxwell, and [D] Newton made significant contributions to physics, but they are not credited with explaining the photoelectric effect. Compton is known for the Compton effect involving X-rays, Maxwell formulated Maxwell’s equations describing electromagnetism, and Newton proposed the corpuscular theory of light.
Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect laid the foundation for quantum mechanics and led to further advancements in understanding the dual wave-particle nature of light, influencing modern physics profoundly.