A photocell is illuminated by a small bright source placed 1 m away. When the same source of light is placed away, the number of electrons emitted by photo cathode would
- (A)decrease by a factor of 4
- (B)increase by a factor of 4✓ Correct
- (C)decrease by a factor of 2
- (D)increase by a factor of 2
Answer: (B)
Solution
Light from a point source obeys the inverse-square law, , and the number of photoelectrons follows the intensity. Halving the distance from m to m multiplies the intensity by , so the emitted electrons increase by a factor of .
JEE Main · 2005 · 08 May 2005 · Offline · Single correct option