What is the term given to the minimum energy required to detach an electron from the surface of a metal?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The work function defines the minimum thermodynamic energy required to remove an electron from the interior of a metallic surface to a point in the vacuum immediately outside it. Ionization energy instead measures the energy required to detach an electron from an isolated gaseous atom or molecule. This parameter is critical in explaining phenomena like the photoelectric effect. The work function depends entirely on the nature of the metal and the condition of its surface, measured typically in electron-volts.