Answer to Question #37002 in Atomic and Nuclear Physics for Aayush Mishra

Question

There is a big flaw in the photoelectric effect explaination. I have read that absorption of energy by electrons is a instantaneous process taking less than 10^-9 s. at the atomic level this time is not so less. in 10^-10 s. light can travel 0.03m that is 3 cm, too large for an atom. now if the intensity of light is sufficiently high such that low frequency (<threshold) photons capable of making the electron jump to higher permissible orbits strike the metal for sufficient time the electrons would finally come out. which is contradictory to the law saying that ejection is independent on intensity. Please satisfy.