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What is the term for the work function in the formula of Richardson's law?

  • Conductivity

  • Resistivity

  • Thermopower

  • Phi

Answer

The work function, denoted as Phi (Φ) in Richardson's law, represents the minimum energy required for electrons to overcome the material's surface potential barrier and escape into the vacuum. It is a fundamental property of the material and varies for different substances. Understanding the work function is crucial in various fields, including thermionic emission, photoelectric effects, and semiconductor device physics.
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