Electromagnetic radiation and photons

In summary, the experimenter found that the frequency of light had to be less than 270 nm to emit photoelectrons.
  • #1
freefallin38
20
0
[SOLVED] Quantum Theory questions...

I have been having a bit of trouble on these homework questions

1)How many photons/s are contained in a beam of electromagnetic radiation of total power of 165 W when the each of the following is the source.
(a) AM radio station of 990 kHz
_____photons/s
(b) 5 nm x-rays
_____photons/s
(c) 4 MeV gamma rays?
_____photons/s

2)An experimenter finds that no photoelectrons are emitted from a particular metal unless the wavelength of light is less than 270 nm. Her experiment will require photoelectrons of maximum kinetic energy 2.2 eV. What frequency light should be used to illuminate the metal?
_____Hz

3)A photon having 64 keV scatters from a free electron at rest. What is the maximum energy that the electron can obtain?
_____keV

4) What is the minimum energy that photons must have to produce 46 keV electrons in a Compton scattering?
_____keV


I know 3 and 4 are similar.. I wasn't sure about what kind of formulas to use for any of them . Any hints or suggestions would be amazing :smile:
 
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  • #2
How about an equation that might express the energy of a photon in terms of it's wavelength or frequency? You really don't have ANY such formula?
 
  • #3
is E=h*f the energy for one photon?
 
  • #4
freefallin38 said:
is E=h*f the energy for one photon?

Yes, now get started.
 
  • #5
ok, so now I have the answers for 1 and 2. For 3 and 4 I'm still stuck about how to solve them..
 
  • #6
freefallin38 said:
ok, so now I have the answers for 1 and 2. For 3 and 4 I'm still stuck about how to solve them..

Think of this collision as elastic. What does this mean?

HINT: Think "conservation laws."
 
  • #7
ok, so the conservation law is hf+mc^2=hf'+E(electron)
in problem 3, I have 64kEv+mc^2=hf'+E, but how do i find the f'?
I have a feeling that if i can get 3, 4 will be easy to solve
 
  • #8
Momentum is also conserved.
 
  • #9
I can't find f' for problem 3. I thought that because the problem said it wanted the maximum value, that would make [tex]\vartheta[/tex] =180. Using the formula 1/f'-1/f=h/mc*(1-sin[tex]\vartheta[/tex]) to find f' and then when I used the conservation law, I just got the same original value of 64keV. If [tex]\vartheta[/tex] isn't 180, then I can't figure out how to find f' when [tex]\vartheta[/tex] and [tex]\phi[/tex] are also unknown?
 

1. What is electromagnetic radiation?

Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that is transmitted through space in the form of waves. It includes a wide range of energies, ranging from radio waves to gamma rays.

2. What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. It includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays.

3. What are photons?

Photons are the smallest units of electromagnetic radiation. They are packets of energy that make up electromagnetic waves and have no mass. Photons travel at the speed of light and can behave as both particles and waves.

4. How are electromagnetic radiation and photons related?

Electromagnetic radiation is made up of photons. As electromagnetic waves travel through space, they are composed of photons that have a specific frequency and wavelength. The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency.

5. What are the uses of electromagnetic radiation?

Electromagnetic radiation has many practical applications in our daily lives. Some common uses include communication (radio waves), cooking (microwaves), heating (infrared radiation), and medical imaging (X-rays). It is also used in technologies such as cell phones, televisions, and radar systems.

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