All Flashcards
Label the following diagram of Compton scattering.
1: Incident Photon, 2: Electron, 3: Scattered Photon, 4: Recoiling Electron, 5: Scattering Angle (θ)
Identify the components in the Compton scattering diagram.
Incoming Photon, Scattered Photon, Electron, Scattering Angle
What does the angle between the incident and scattered photon represent?
The scattering angle (θ)
Label the incoming and outgoing particles in a Compton scattering event.
Incoming: Photon; Outgoing: Photon and Electron
What is the significance of the recoiling electron in the Compton scattering diagram?
It indicates that the electron has gained energy and momentum from the incident photon.
Define Compton Scattering.
The scattering of a photon by a charged particle, usually an electron, resulting in a decrease in energy and increase in wavelength of the photon.
What is a photon?
A discrete packet of electromagnetic radiation (light) with energy E = hf, where h is Planck's constant and f is frequency.
Define scattering angle (θ) in Compton scattering.
The angle between the direction of the incident photon and the direction of the scattered photon.
What is Planck's constant (h)?
A fundamental physical constant relating the energy of a photon to its frequency; approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 J·s.
Define wavelength shift (Δλ) in Compton scattering.
The difference between the wavelength of the scattered photon and the wavelength of the incident photon.
What is the effect of a larger scattering angle in Compton scattering?
A larger scattering angle results in a greater transfer of energy to the electron and a larger increase in the photon's wavelength.
What is the effect of a photon colliding with an electron?
The photon transfers some of its energy and momentum to the electron, resulting in a scattered photon with lower energy and a longer wavelength.
What is the effect of increasing the energy of the incident photon?
The energy transferred to the electron increases, and the scattered photon retains a higher energy level compared to a lower-energy incident photon.
What is the effect of backscattering (θ = 180°) on the photon's wavelength?
Backscattering results in the maximum possible increase in the photon's wavelength (Δλ = 2h/mec).
What is the effect of Compton scattering on the evidence for the particle nature of light?
It provides strong experimental evidence supporting the particle nature of light by demonstrating that photons behave like particles with specific energy and momentum.