Exploring the Phenomenon of Electron Volt: Mass, Temperature, and Energy

In summary: So, if you say that the temperature is .03 eV, what you're really saying is that voltage times ##K_B## is .03 eV.
  • #1
Kevin McHugh
318
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The electron volt can be defined as mass, temp and energy.

1 eV = 1.6022 x 10-19J

1 eV = 1.783 x 10-36kg

1 eV= 1.160 x 104K

How can something with such small energy and mass exhibit such high temperature? 104K is white hot
 
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  • #2
Kevin McHugh said:
The electron volt can be defined as mass, temp and energy.
The electron volt can be used to define units of mass, temp, and energy.

Kevin McHugh said:
How can something with such small energy and mass exhibit such high temperature?
It's not a 'thing'; it's a unit of measure that proves convenient in the right context.
 
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Likes sophiecentaur
  • #3
It's unfortunately confusing because physicists are lazy. Electron volts are really a measure of energy. But if you multiply temperature by Boltzmann's constant you get an energy, so if we (lazily) say the temperature is 0.03 eV, what we really mean is that temperature times ##k_B## is 0.03 eV.
If we measure mass in electron volts, we really mean the energy equivalent of the mass is in electron volts. ##E = mc^2## gives the energy equivalent for a mass.
 
  • #4
Doc Al said:
The electron volt can be used to define units of mass, temp, and energy.It's not a 'thing'; it's a unit of measure that proves convenient in the right context.

Electron volt is a noun, i.e. a person, place or thing. Besides being useful, how can an energy of 1.6022 x 10-19 J be equivalent to a temperature of 1.160 x1011 K?
 
  • #5
I already answered that...
 
  • #6
Khashishi said:
It's unfortunately confusing because physicists are lazy. Electron volts are really a measure of energy. But if you multiply temperature by Boltzmann's constant you get an energy, so if we (lazily) say the temperature is 0.03 eV, what we really mean is that temperature times ##k_B## is 0.03 eV.
If we measure mass in electron volts, we really mean the energy equivalent of the mass is in electron volts. ##E = mc^2## gives the energy equivalent for a mass.

Thanks man.
 
  • #7
Khashishi said:
I already answered that...

I think I'll call you speedy :biggrin:
 
  • #8
Kevin McHugh said:
Electron volt is a noun, i.e. a person, place or thing.
You need to expand your definition of noun to include abstractions, such as units of measure. The idea that there is some "thing" called an electron volt that has the given mass and temperature is incorrect.

Kevin McHugh said:
Besides being useful, how can an energy of 1.6022 x 10-19 J be equivalent to a temperature of 1.160 x1011 K?
How the eV can be used to measure temperature and mass, nicely summarized by Khashishi, is covered in the wiki page for electron volt.
 
  • #9
In this context, electron actually means the amount of electric charge possessed by one electron or proton (a.k.a. an elementary charge), which is the same as 1.6 x 10-19 coulomb.

When you multiply charge by voltage, you get energy.
 

1. What is an electron volt (eV)?

An electron volt is a unit of energy equal to the amount of energy gained or lost by an electron when it moves through a potential difference of one volt.

2. How is electron volt related to mass and temperature?

Electron volt is not directly related to mass or temperature. However, it is commonly used to measure the energy of particles, such as the mass of an electron or the temperature of a system.

3. Can electron volt be converted to other units of energy?

Yes, electron volt can be converted to other units of energy, such as joules (1 eV = 1.602 x 10^-19 joules) or kilowatt-hours (1 eV = 2.246 x 10^-23 kWh).

4. How is electron volt used in particle physics?

Electron volt is used as a unit of energy to describe the mass and kinetic energy of particles in particle accelerators. It is also commonly used to measure the energy levels of subatomic particles and their interactions.

5. What is the relationship between electron volt and electric potential?

The relationship between electron volt and electric potential is that one electron volt is equal to one volt of electric potential energy. This means that an electron moving through a potential difference of one volt will gain or lose one electron volt of energy.

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