CHEROKEE BLUFF HIGH SCHOOL// ISSUE 1 // VOLUME 1

A L B E R T E I N S T E I N

ATOMIC THEORY

SUMMARY OF
CAREER

PHOTOELECTRIC
EFFECT

ATOMIC THEORY SOURCES

Albert Einstein has played a major role in proving the existence of

atoms. This is called the Atomic Theory. It states that all of matter is
made up of small, non-see able particles that are called atoms.
Back in Einstein's day, the existence of atoms was a very
controversial topic between all scientists. Many scientists had
different theories. But, Einstein ended up confirming the Brownian
motion.
What Einstein provided was that the diffusion of an object
undergoing Brownian motion will diffuse at a particular rate (known
as the mean squared displacement), and that this rate depended
upon the quantity of atoms or molecules in a mole of the fluid in
which the object is suspended (Avogadro’s number). From this one
could find out the size of molecules or atoms. For the first time, a
measurable quantity let us to probe the atomic realm. It wasn’t just
the idea, but rather the precision of Einstein’s conclusions that many
scientists found so convincing.    
 Photo electronic
SUMMARY OF CAREER
Albert Einstein was born in Germany and was
a theoretical physicist, commonly known for his
Special and General Theory of Relativity and the
concept of mass-energy equivalence expressed
by the famous equation, E = mc2. He was
granted the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 “for his
services to theoretical physics, and especially for
his discovery of the law of the photoelectric
effect” and he made a couple of essential
contributions to the early development of
quantum theory. He was named "Person of the
Century" by Time magazine in 1999, the fourth
most admired person of the 20th Century
according to a 1999 Gallup poll, and “the greatest
scientist of the twentieth century and one of the
supreme intellects of all time” according to “The
100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in
History” in 1978.
effect
In 1905 Einstein extended
Planck’s hypothesis to explain
the photoelectric effect, which
is the emission of electrons by
a metal surface when it is
irradiated by light or more-
energetic photons. The kinetic
energy of the emitted electrons
depends on the frequency ν of
the radiation, not on its
intensity; for a given metal,
there is a threshold frequency
ν0 below which no electrons
are emitted. Furthermore,
emission takes place as soon as
the light shines on the surface;
there is no detectable delay.
Einstein showed that these
results can be explained by two
assumptions: (1) that light is
composed of corpuscles or
photons, the energy of which is
given by Planck’s relationship,
and (2) that an atom in the
metal can absorb either a
whole photon or nothing. Part
of the energy of the absorbed
photon frees an electron, which
requires a fixed energy W,
known as the work function of
the metal; the rest is converted
into the kinetic energy meu2/2
of the emitted electron (me is
the mass of the electron and u
is its velocity). Thus, the
energy relation is special
composition for article
"Quantum Mechanics"If ν is less
than ν0, where hν0 = W, no
electrons are emitted. Not all
the experimental results
mentioned above were known
in 1905, but all Einstein’s
predictions have been verified
since.
 Sources
Kaku, Michio. “Albert Einstein.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica,
Inc., 20 Sept. 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Albert-Einstein.

Squires, Gordon Leslie. “Quantum Mechanics.” Encyclopædia Britannica,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 3 Aug. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/quantum-
mechanics-physics#ref611809.

Hubble, Edwin. “ALBERT EINSTEIN.” Edwin Hubble - Important Scientists - The

Physics of the Universe, 2018,
www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/scientists_einstein.html.

“Albert Einstein 1879-1955.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 1998,

www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bpeins.html.

“Albert Einstein.” Atomic Heritage Foundation, 2018,

www.atomicheritage.org/profile/albert-einstein.

Vujovic, Ljubo. “Albert Einstein (1879-1955).” Albert Einstein, 2018,

www.teslasociety.com/einstein.htm.

Koberlein, Brian. “Einstein's Theory of Brownian Motion.” One Universe at a Time, 6

May 2015, briankoberlein.com/2015/05/05/shake-rattle-and-roll/.