12. What is the photoelectric effect, and what experimental evidence led scientists to discover it? Does this support the wave or particle theory of light? Why?

Photoelectric effect, phenomenon in which electrically charged particles are released from or within a material when it absorbs electromagnetic radiation.

Explanation:

The effect is often defined as the ejection of electrons from a metal plate when light falls on it. In a broader definition, the radiant energy may be infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light, X-rays, or gamma rays; the material may be a solid, liquid, or gas; and the released particles may be ions (electrically charged atoms or molecules) as well as electrons. The phenomenon was fundamentally significant in the development of modern physics because of the puzzling questions it raised about the nature of light—particle versus wavelike behaviour—that were finally resolved by Albert Einstein in 1905. The effect remains important for research in areas from materials science to astrophysics, as well as forming the basis for a variety of useful devices.