Photoelectric Effect

According to Maxwell, energy is a continuous spatial function in the case of electromagnetism.

Material energy:

• is the sum of energy in its atoms.
• cannot be subdivided arbitrarily

EM light energy is continuously spread over an increasing volume.

The wave theory of light works optically. But optical observations are time averages and not instantaneous values.

The energy of light is discontinuously distributed in space.

• Instead, it has a finite energy quanta

Quanta are:

• localized points in space which move without dividing
• these move without dividing
• there act as complete units

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For small wavelengths..