photoelectricity

8.1

Electricity produced when light hits certain materials

noun
/ˌfoʊtoʊɪˈlɛktrɪsɪti/

Specialized

: fotoelectricidad

Solar panels generate photoelectricity when exposed to sunlight.

Examples

Einstein won the Nobel Prize for his explanation of the photoelectricity phenomenon.
The study of photoelectricity has contributed to advances in modern physics.
The concept of photoelectricity is crucial in modern physics.
Solar panels generate photoelectricity from sunlight.
Solar panels generate photoelectricity when exposed to sunlight.
The study of photoelectricity has contributed to advances in modern physics.
Einstein won the Nobel Prize for his explanation of the photoelectricity phenomenon.

Synonyms

photocurrent

vsphotoelectricity

Specialized

1 7.5

A flow of electricity made in a material when light hits it

is broader, covering any electrical effect caused or altered by light

photoemission

vsphotoelectricity

Specialized

1 8.8

Electrons leave a material when light shines on it

includes broader electrical effects caused or influenced by light rather than just surface electron loss

photoelectric emission

vsphotoelectricity

Specialized

7.4

When a material absorbs very strong light, it releases electrons

describes electrical phenomena produced or affected by light rather than mere electron release

Surface Forms

photoelectricity singular

photoelectricities plural

Morphology

photoelectricity = photoelectric (transparent) = photo + electric + ity

The noun is formed regularly from the adjective 'photoelectric' with the standard suffix '-ity', so the meaning is easy to infer from the base.

Etymology

Photoelectricity starts with photo-, which means 'light' and is the same part you see in photograph. The word also has electricity, so photoelectricity means electricity made or changed by light, like the power from solar panels.