1. Higher Intensity, More Electrons: It was believed that a higher intensity of light would result in a greater number of electrons being emitted from the surface. This is because a stronger light source would provide more energy to the electrons, allowing them to overcome the binding forces holding them to the surface.
2. Higher Intensity, Higher Kinetic Energy: Scientists also expected that electrons ejected from the surface under higher light intensity would exhibit higher kinetic energy. The increased energy from the intense light would be transferred to the electrons, causing them to be ejected with greater speed and energy.
3. Constant Maximum Kinetic Energy: It was thought that the maximum kinetic energy of the ejected electrons would remain constant regardless of the light intensity. This means that while the number of emitted electrons could increase with higher intensity, their maximum energy would not be affected.
These predictions were based on classical physics and the understanding of energy transfer at the time. However, subsequent experiments, particularly those conducted by Albert Einstein in 1905, revealed that the relationship between light intensity and photoelectron emission is more complex and involves the quantization of light energy, leading to the development of quantum mechanics.