When electromagnetic radiation with frequency greater than the threshold frequency is incident on a metal surface, there is emission of electrons. It is observed that not every incident photon is effective in liberating an electron. In fact, the number of electrons emitted per second is far less than the number of photons incident per second. The photons that are not effective in liberation of electrons are reflected (or scattered) or absorbed resulting in rise in the temperature of the metal surface. The maximum kinetic energy of a photoelectron depends on the frequency of the incident radiation and the threshold frequency for the metal. It has nothing to do with the intensity of the incident radiation.
The increase in intensity results in increase in the number of electrons emitted per second.
