How Is Energy Conserved in a Photon-Electron Collision?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on a photon-electron collision problem where an incident photon with a frequency of 2.00 E10^19 Hz collides with a stationary electron. The main challenge is calculating the total energy of the system post-collision, with participants noting a lack of apparent information. One contributor points out that the speed of light and the frequency provided can be used to derive the wavelength, which may help in solving the problem. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing the relationships between frequency, wavelength, and energy in photon interactions. Understanding these concepts is crucial for determining the energy conservation in the collision.
Phoenixtears
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Homework Statement



An incident photon having a frequency of 2.00 E10^19 Hz collides with an electron initially at rest.

What is the total energy of the two-particle system after the collision? (In joules


The Attempt at a Solution



I've stared at this problem for at least an hour an have no idea where to go from here. Can anyone give me a leg up on this one. It feels like there isn't enough given information to even begin this... no velocity, no wavelength.

Thanks in advance!

~Phoenix
 
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Well, to be fair... it's a photon, so you know the velocity (ie. the speed of light), and since you have the frequency, you have the wavelength - perhaps you can see it from there?
 

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