Question

You have a cold gas of atoms, and you observe that if you shine light consisting of photons with energy 10 eV through the gas, some free electrons are observed, implying that a photon of this energy is able to ionize an atom in the gas. (a) If you find that the emitted electrons from the gas have a kinetic energy of 1 eV, what is the ionization energy of the cold atom

Answer 1

Ionization Energy = 9 eV

Step-by-step explanation:

If we apply the law of conservation of energy to the given situation, we will get the following equation:

`Energy\ of\ Photon = Ionization\ Energy + Kinetic\ Energy\ of\ Electron\\`

where,

Energy of Photon = 10 eV

Ionization Energy = ?

Kinetic Energy of Electrons = 1 eV

Therefore,

`10\ eV = Ionization\ Energy + 1\ eV\\Ionization\ Energy = 10\ eV - 1\ eV`

Ionization Energy = 9 eV