Electronvolt Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
An electronvolt (symbol: eV) is the amount of energy gained by a single unbound electron when it falls through an electrostatic potential difference of one volt. This is a very small amount of energy:- 1 eV = 1.602 176 53 (14) × 10−19; J. (Source: CODATA 2002 recommended values)
| Table of contents |
|
2 See also 3 External link |
Using electronvolts to measure mass
Einstein taught us that energy is equivalent to mass, as famously expressed in the formula E=mc2 (1 kg = 90 petajoule). Particle physicists thus use the eV/c² as unit of mass, with the advantage that conversion between mass and energy is then trivial.
In particle physics, masses are expressed in natural units, so factors of c are set equal to one and omitted. For example, an electron and a positron, each with a mass of 511 keV, can annihilate to yield 1.022 MeV of energy. The proton, a typical baryon, has a mass of 0.938 GeV, making GeV (often pronounced jev) a very convenient unit of mass for particle physics.
- 1 eV/c² = 1.783 × 10−36 kg
- 1 keV/c² = 1.783 × 10−33 kg
- 1 MeV/c² = 1.783 × 10−30 kg;
- 1 GeV/c² = 1.783 × 10−27 kg;
To convert a particle's energy in electronvolts into its temperature in kelvin, multiply by 11,605 (see Boltzmann constant).
This is an Article on Electronvolt. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Electronvolt See also
External link