For a photon to interact via the photoelectric effect, it must possess energy that is?

The photoelectric effect occurs when a photon interacts with an electron in an atom and transfers its energy to that electron, causing it to be ejected from its atomic bound state. For this interaction to successfully take place, the energy of the photon must be at least equal to the binding energy of the electron, which is the minimum amount of energy required to remove the electron from its orbit around the nucleus.

If the photon's energy is exactly equal to the binding energy, it will provide just enough energy to free the electron. If the photon's energy is slightly greater than the binding energy, the excess energy will be converted into kinetic energy of the ejected electron. This explains why a photon must possess energy that is equal to or just greater than the binding energy of the electron to result in the photoelectric effect.

This understanding is crucial for applications in medical dosimetry and radiation therapy since it helps in predicting how different types of radiation can interact with biological tissues at certain energy levels.