Question

An atom of tungsten has a radius of 193pm and the average orbital speed of the electrons in it is about 1.6 m/s. What is the approximate kinetic energy of an electron in the tungsten atom?

1) 0.5 eV
2) 1 eV
3) 2 eV
4) 4 eV

Answer 1

The approximate kinetic energy of an electron in a tungsten atom is 2 eV.

Step-by-step explanation:

The kinetic energy of an electron can be calculated using the formula:

KE = (1/2)mv^2

Given that the average orbital speed of the electrons in a tungsten atom is about 1.6 m/s, we can substitute the values into the formula to find:

KE = (1/2)(mass of electron)(velocity of electron)^2

Using the mass of an electron which is approximately 9.11 x 10^-31 kg, we find:

KE = (1/2)(9.11 x 10^-31 kg)(1.6 m/s)^2

Calculating this gives us an approximate value of 2 eV for the kinetic energy of the electron in the tungsten atom.