An educational contribution to the inadequacy of interpreting the photoelectric effect through the classical theory

We develop a simulation to facilitate the teaching of the photoelectric effect in an introductory course on quantum mechanics at undergraduate level. Through a Visual Basic program we describe the interaction of light with electrons in a metal conductor in the phenomenon according to the classical theory. The description includes both the microscopic interaction, as well as the predictions of the theory for the experimental results, arising from the microscopic scale. The predictions of the classical model are in stark contrast with the experimental results of a real photoelectric device. (paper)