Question about photon absorbtion/emission by hydrogen

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    Hydrogen Photon
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When a 20eV photon interacts with hydrogen gas, it can knock an electron off the atom, requiring 13.6eV for this process. The remaining 6.4eV could potentially contribute to the kinetic energy of the ejected electron. Alternatively, it's possible for the atom to emit a photon of lower energy, such as 3.2eV, while the rest goes into kinetic energy. The discussion highlights the distinction between the photoelectric effect and Compton scattering, emphasizing the conditions under which each mechanism occurs. Understanding these processes is essential for grasping photon absorption and emission in hydrogen.
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I had this problem for my physics class where we had a 20eV photon interaction with hydrogen gas. It takes 13.6eV to knock electrons off of the atoms from the ground state after the photon is absorbed by the hydrogen atom, but that leaves 6.4eV left over.

Does all of this energy go into the kinetic energy of the electron, or could another photon of, say, 3.2eV be emitted while the other 3.2eV goes into kinetic energy?
 
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That's a good question. I'm pretty sure that the first one is termed the "photoelectric effect" and the second one termed "Compton scattering". Maybe someone who knows a bit more about it can give more info on the "when where why" of why one mechanism is favored over the other.
 
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