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...................................................................................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

Definition of electron volt

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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. 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.

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