A browser-based laboratory environment for investigating the photoelectric effect, collecting simulated experimental measurements, analysing stopping potential, and estimating Planck's constant.
This is a showcase-only repository for the Dinglo Photoelectric Effect Simulator.
The repository contains:
- Product screenshots
- A technical and educational project overview
- Feature documentation
- Copyright and commercial-use notices
The simulator's application source code, deployment files, private assets, and implementation logic are not included. The software remains a privately maintained Dinglo / KM Digital Labs product.
The Dinglo Photoelectric Effect Simulator recreates the core workflow of a university photoelectric-effect practical in a controlled digital environment. A learner can configure an optical source and phototube, vary the anode potential, collect photocurrent measurements, determine stopping potentials, compare different wavelengths, and use the resulting linear relationship to estimate Planck's constant.
The simulator is designed for:
- Undergraduate physics practicals
- Pre-laboratory preparation
- Demonstrations where physical apparatus is limited
- Independent experimental practice
- Data-analysis and report-writing exercises
The virtual bench models the major elements of a photoelectric-effect experiment:
- Mercury light source
- Wavelength filter selection
- Adjustable light intensity
- Adjustable aperture
- Adjustable source distance
- Selectable cathode material
- Variable anode potential
- Sensitive photocurrent measurement
- Lamp and shutter controls
- Bench reset controls
Learners can:
- Record repeated current-voltage readings
- Compare measurements across wavelengths
- Preserve raw measurements in a laboratory notebook
- Review wavelength, frequency, intensity, aperture, bias voltage, and current
- Clear invalid readings and begin a new session
- Export collected readings as CSV data
The simulator supports:
- Photocurrent versus anode-potential curves
- Comparison of multiple wavelength sweeps
- Extraction of stopping potential
- Stopping potential versus frequency plots
- Linear fitting
- Uncertainty values
- Coefficient-of-determination reporting
- Experimental estimation of Planck's constant
- Work-function estimation
- SVG graph export
The interface includes dedicated areas for:
- Learning content
- Laboratory work
- Assessment
- Theory and pre-lab preparation
- Notebook and graph analysis
- Report preparation
- A built-in manual
- Session autosave
The simulator is built around Einstein's photoelectric equation:
[ K_{\max}=hf-\phi ]
At the stopping potential (V_s):
[ eV_s=hf-\phi ]
Therefore:
[ V_s=\left(\frac{h}{e}\right)f-\frac{\phi}{e} ]
A graph of stopping potential against frequency should be approximately linear. Its slope is used to determine an experimental value for Planck's constant, while the intercept is related to the work function of the cathode material.
Raw measurements are displayed beside the photocurrent-versus-anode-potential graph, allowing the learner to connect each plotted curve to the recorded experimental data.
Processed stopping-potential results are plotted against frequency. The simulator reports the fitted relationship, uncertainty information, estimated Planck constant, percentage error, and work function.
The notebook workspace combines raw-data management, graph fitting, processed results, exports, and interpretation tools in one laboratory record.
- Open a new laboratory session.
- Select the wavelength filter and cathode material.
- Set the light intensity, aperture, and source distance.
- Sweep the anode potential while recording photocurrent.
- Repeat the sweep for additional wavelengths.
- Determine the stopping potential for each frequency.
- Plot stopping potential against frequency.
- Calculate the experimental Planck constant.
- Record observations and interpret deviations.
- Export readings, graphs, and report material.
After completing the simulated practical, a learner should be able to:
- Explain threshold frequency and electron emission
- Distinguish the effects of intensity and frequency
- Interpret a photocurrent-voltage characteristic
- Determine stopping potential from experimental data
- Relate photon energy to electron kinetic energy
- Use linear regression in physical measurement
- Estimate Planck's constant experimentally
- Discuss uncertainty, percentage error, and experimental limitations
The simulator is implemented as a browser-based front-end application using:
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- SVG and canvas-based visual output
- Local session persistence
Implementation details and source files are intentionally excluded from this public showcase.
Dinglo_Photoelectric_Effect_Simulator_Showcase/
├── README.md
├── LICENSE.md
├── NOTICE.md
├── .gitignore
└── assets/
├── photoelectric-effect-virtual-bench.png
├── current-voltage-readings-and-graph.png
├── stopping-potential-planck-analysis.png
└── laboratory-notebook-overview.png
The simulator is not distributed as open-source software through this repository.
Institutional deployment, demonstrations, evaluation access, customisation, and commercial licensing are handled directly by KM Digital Labs.
The application source remains private, but useful public contributions are welcome for documentation corrections, experiment ideas, accessibility feedback and physics-validation notes. See CONTRIBUTING.md. Please report application bugs without including private access details or copyrighted material.
The Dinglo name, simulator interface, visual design, screenshots, documentation, experimental workflow, and underlying software are proprietary works.
No permission is granted to reproduce, redistribute, resell, reverse engineer, imitate, or create derivative commercial products from this repository or the simulator without prior written authorisation.
See LICENSE.md and NOTICE.md.
Mangena Kegorapetse
Dinglo · KM Digital Labs
Dinglo Virtual Physics Laboratory
Built to make experimental physics more accessible, repeatable, and measurable.