What is the ratio of the wavelength of a 0.100-keV photon to the wavelength of a 0.100-keV electron?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The ratio of the wavelength of a 0.100-keV photon to the wavelength of a 0.100-keV electron is approximately 32:1.

Step by step solution

01

Planck's equation for photons

We will use Planck's equation to find the wavelength of the photon. Planck's equation relates the energy \(E_p\) of a photon to its wavelength \(\lambda_p\) and is given by: $$ E_p = h \frac{c}{\lambda_p} $$ where \(h\) is the Planck's constant (\(6.626 \times 10^{-34} Js\)) and \(c\) is the speed of light (\(3 \times 10^8 m/s\)).
02

de Broglie wavelength equation for electrons

For the electron, we'll use the de Broglie wavelength equation, which relates the energy \(E_e\) of an electron to its wavelength \(\lambda_e\). The equation is given by: $$ \lambda_e = \frac{h}{\sqrt{2 m_e E_e}} $$ where \(m_e\) is the mass of the electron (\(9.109 \times 10^{-31} kg\)).
03

Convert energy to Joules

Both energy values given are in keV, we need to convert them to Joules for further calculations. The conversion factor is \(1 keV = 1.602 \times 10^{-16} J\). Thus, $$ E_p = E_e = 0.1\text{ keV} \times 1.602 \times 10^{-16}J/keV = 1.602 \times 10^{-17}J $$
04

Calculate the photon's wavelength

Now, we can calculate the wavelength of the photon using Planck's equation: $$ \lambda_p = \frac{hc}{E_p} = \frac{6.626 \times 10^{-34} Js \times 3 \times 10^{8} m/s}{1.602 \times 10^{-17}J} = 1.239 \times 10^{-9} m $$
05

Calculate the electron's wavelength

Next, we calculate the wavelength of the electron using de Broglie wavelength equation: $$ \lambda_e = \frac{h}{\sqrt{2 m_e E_e}} = \frac{6.626 \times 10^{-34} Js}{\sqrt{2 \times 9.109 \times 10^{-31} kg \times 1.602 \times 10^{-17} J}} = 3.870 \times 10^{-11} m $$
06

Find the ratio of the two wavelengths

Finally, we will find the ratio of the wavelength of the photon to the wavelength of the electron: $$ \frac{\lambda_p}{\lambda_e} = \frac{1.239 \times 10^{-9} m}{3.870 \times 10^{-11} m} \approx 32.03 $$ The ratio of the wavelength of a 0.100-keV photon to the wavelength of a 0.100-keV electron is approximately 32:1.

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