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Open main menu Photoelectric effect Language Photoe The emission of electrons from a metal plate caused by light quanta – photons. The  photoelectric effect  is the emission of  electrons  when  electromagnetic radiation , such as  light , hits a material. Electrons emitted in this manner are called photoelectrons. The phenomenon is studied in  condensed matter physics , and  solid state  and  quantum chemistry  to draw inferences about the properties of atoms, molecules and solids. The effect has found use in  electronic devices  specialized for light detection and precisely timed electron emission. The experimental results disagree with  classical electromagnetism , which predicts that continuous light waves transfer  energy  to electrons, which would then be emitted when they accumulate enough energy. An alteration in the  intensity  of light would theoretically change the  kinetic e...