Energies in Electron Volts

Room temperature thermal energy of a molecule..................................0.04 eV

Visible light photons...........................................................................1.5-3.5 eV

Energy for the dissociation of an NaCl molecule into Na+ and Cl- ions:.............................................................................................4.2 eV

Ionization energy of atomic hydrogen ...................................................13.6 eV

Approximate energy of an electron striking a color television screen (CRT display) ...............................................................................20,000 eV

High energy diagnostic medical x-ray photons..................200,000 eV (=0.2 MeV)

Typical energies from nuclear decay:
(1) gamma..................................................................................0-3 MeV
(2) beta.......................................................................................0-3 MeV
(3) alpha......................................................................................2-10 MeV

Cosmic ray energies ...........................................................1 MeV - 1000 TeV

1 MeV = 106 eV, 1 GeV = 109 eV, 1 TeV = 1012 eV

Definition of electron volt

 Index
 
HyperPhysics***** Electricity and Magnetism ***** Quantum Physics R Nave
 Go Back





Electron Volts

A convenient energy unit, particularly for atomic and nuclear processes, is the energy given to an electron by accelerating it through 1 volt of electric potential difference. If an electron starts from rest at the negative plate, then the electric field will do work eV on it, giving it that amount of kinetic energy when it strikes the positive plate. The work done on the charge is given by the charge times the voltage difference, which in this case is:

The abbreviation for electron volt is eV.

Energies in electron volts.

 Index
 
HyperPhysics***** Electricity and Magnetism R Nave
 Go Back