Question

The energy of 30.0 eV is required to ionize a molecule of the gas inside a Geiger tube, thereby producing an ion pair. Suppose a particle of ionizing radiation deposits 0.500 MeV of energy in this Geiger tube. What maximum number of ion pairs can it create?

a . Max Ion Pairs = 1.67 times 10⁶
b . Max Ion Pairs = 5.0 times 10⁵
c . Max Ion Pairs = 1.0 times 10⁶
d . Max Ion Pairs = 3.33 times 10⁶

Answer 1

The maximum number of ion pairs that can be created by the deposit of 0.500 MeV of energy in a Geiger tube is a) 1.67 × 10⁶, given that each ion pair requires 30.0 eV of energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks for the maximum number of ion pairs that can be created when a particle of ionizing radiation deposits 0.500 MeV of energy in a Geiger tube, given that each ion pair requires 30.0 eV of energy to be produced.

First, we should convert the deposited energy from MeV to eV:

• 0.500 MeV = 500,000 eV

Then, we'll divide the total energy deposited by the energy required to create a single ion pair:

• Number of ion pairs = Total energy deposited / Energy per ion pair
• Number of ion pairs = 500,000 eV / 30.0 eV
• Number of ion pairs = 16,666.67

Therefore, the maximum number of ion pairs that can be created is approximately 1.67 × 10⁶, which corresponds to answer choice (a).