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QPage 363: Q7: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 Photoelectric Effect and Wave-Particle Duality Page 363: Q7 Solution: In an experiment on photoelectric effect, a photon is incident…

⚠️ Common Exam Traps & Conceptual Pitfalls

Students often incorrectly assume that the photon's momentum must equal the photoelectron's momentum, ignoring that the metal lattice (or atom) absorbs the recoil momentum. To avoid this, always define the system as the photon plus the entire metal target, not just the photon and the single electron.

In an experiment on photoelectric effect, a photon is incident on an electron from one direction and the photoelectron is emitted almost in the opposite direction. Does this violate the principle of conservation of momentum?

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**Answer:** No, it does not violate the principle of conservation of momentum. **Step-by-Step Explanation:** In the photon-electron collision, the total momentum of the system (photon + electron) is conserved. The photon is incident from one direction and the photoelectron is emitted in the opposite direction, but the net momentum of the system before and after the collision remains the same.

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