Chapter 8: Problem 5

What determines the position of each peak (where along the horizontal axis the peak is positioned) in a photoelectron spectrum?

Short Answer

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The position of each peak in a photoelectron spectrum is determined by the ionization energy required to remove an electron from a specific energy level of an atom. In other words, it’s determined by the electron shell and subshell structure of the atom. Higher ionization energies correspond to peaks located further towards the high kinetic energy end of the spectrum. The intensity of each peak is determined by the number of electrons in those energy levels or sublevels.

Step by step solution

Understanding Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Photoelectron spectroscopy is a technique that involves shining light onto a sample and measuring the kinetic energy of electrons ejected from its surface. The ejection of these electrons is a result of the photoelectric effect, where electrons absorb photons of light and gain enough energy to overcome the attractive forces of the nucleus.

Ionization Energy

Ionization energy is related to the amount of energy required to remove an electron from a specific energy level of an atom. For a photoelectron spectrum, the ionization energy corresponds to the kinetic energy of the ejected electrons, and therefore, the position of a peak on the spectrum. Higher ionization energies are reflected in peaks located further towards the high kinetic energy end of the spectrum.

Electron Shell and Subshell

The position of each peak is determined by the energy level from which the electron was ejected. Peaks corresponding to inner shells (which are closer to the nucleus and thus have higher ionization energies) will come after (or above, depending on the orientation of the axis) peaks corresponding to outer shells. Furthermore, because subshells have slightly different energies even within the same shell, they may also give separate peaks in a photoelectron spectrum.

Peak Intensity and Atomic Population

It's also worth noting that the intensity of each peak (or its height) is determined by the number of electrons in each energy level or sublevel. A peak's intensity increases with the number of electrons that are available for ionization in that particular subshell or orbital.

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What determines the position of each peak (where along the horizontal axis the peak is positioned) in a photoelectron spectrum?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understanding Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Ionization Energy

Electron Shell and Subshell

Peak Intensity and Atomic Population

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