How does a cathode ray eject inner orbital electrons?

AI Thread Summary
Cathode rays, composed of high-energy electrons, can excite or eject inner orbital electrons from atoms through energy transfer mechanisms. Despite both being negatively charged, the high kinetic energy of cathode rays allows them to overcome the electrostatic repulsion and interact with electrons in the target atom. This interaction can lead to phenomena such as dielectric breakdown and x-ray emission when sufficient energy is imparted. The term "pull" refers to the ability of these energetic electrons to disturb the atomic structure, facilitating electron ejection. Understanding these interactions is crucial for applications in spectroscopy and other fields.
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(Since this is a coursework question and not a homework question, I deleted the template)

Both my chemistry and physics textbooks cite cathode rays as having the ability to excite or eject electrons from an atom (e.g., dielectric breakdown, x-ray spectroscopy). How can a stream of negatively charged electrons pull other negatively charged electrons away from an atom? This seems counter-intuitive to me. Any explanations would be helpful.

P.S.: I've already checked Wikipedia and Google.
 
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Why do you think they can't push them away from the atom? Why do they have to 'pull'? If they have enough energy they can disturb them in one way or another.
 

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