Academic Integrity: tutoring, explanations, and feedback — we don’t complete graded work or submit on a student’s behalf.

PLZ help! When a fast electron (i.e., one moving at a relativistic speed) passes

ID: 1553494 • Letter: P

Question

PLZ help!

When a fast electron (i.e., one moving at a relativistic speed) passes by a heavy atom, it interacts with the atom's electric field. As a result, the electron's kinetic energy is reduced; the electron slows down. In the meantime, a photon of light is emitted. The kinetic energy lost by the electron equals the energy E_gamma of a photon of radiated light: E_gamma = K - K', where K and K' are the kinetic energies of the electron before and after radiation, respectively. This kind of radiation is called bremsstrahlung radiation, which in German means "braking radiation" or "deceleration radiation." The highest energy of a radiated photon corresponds to the moment when the electron is completely stopped. Given an electron beam whose electrons have kinetic energy of 10.0 keV, what is the minimum wavelength lambda_min of light radiated by such beam directed head-on into a lead wall? Express your answer numerically in nanometers

Explanation / Answer

E = hc/L

where E is the energy,

h is Planck's constant,

c is the speed of light

L is the wavelength

L = hc/E

L = 4.136 × 1015 eV·s (2.998 x 10^8 m/s) / 10^4 eV

L = 1.240 x 10^-10 m

L = 0.1240 nm

Hire Me For All Your Tutoring Needs
Integrity-first tutoring: clear explanations, guidance, and feedback.
Drop an Email at
drjack9650@gmail.com
Chat Now And Get Quote