Questions tagged [ionization-energy]
194 questions
21
votes
6 answers
What's the difference between the work function and ionisation energy?
In a particular textbook, the work function of a metal (in the context of the photoelectric effect) is defined as:
the minimum amount of energy necessary to remove a free electron from the surface of the metal
This sounds similar to ionisation…
Huey
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19
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3 answers
Paradox about white dwarfs and ionization
I am facing a dilemma. The fact that matter is ionized allows ions and electrons to be much closer together than they are in atoms (Bohr radius $a = 0.5 \cdot 10^{− 10} \mathrm{m}$), and the result is that some stars, including white dwarfs, have a…
M. A.
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15
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Why doesn't the Cosmic Microwave Background have a more complex spectrum?
As sources say, the Cosmic Microwave Background originated as the first electrons and protons recombined in the early Universe to hydrogen atoms. The resulting $\approx$ 13.6eV photons enlarged hugely due to the expansion of the Universe are now the…
peterh
- 8,872
14
votes
5 answers
Is the energy of an orbital dependent on temperature?
In the Schrodinger Equation's solution for electron orbital energy levels of the hydrogen atom there is no temperature dependency.
$$
E_n = - \frac{m_{\text{e}} \, e^4}{8 \, \epsilon_0^2 \, h^2 \, n^2}
$$
Maybe this is due to ignoring the effects of…
Jason
- 669
14
votes
4 answers
Do magnetic fields cause ionisation of gases?
I am doing my final year engineering project on Magnetic Field Assisted Combustion and was curious to see what people thought about it.
Companies sell rare earth magnetic arrangements to be attached to fuel lines of gas burners and they are said to…
James Dawson
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11
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2 answers
Can atom be excited above ionisation level?
I know this sounds dumb, but it puzzles me when I search for ArI levels catalogue in NIST. It shows argon's first ionisation level as $15.7596119 \; \text{eV}$ in row 427, with more rows after with energy above that.
This is puzzling. How can atomic…
apprentice
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10
votes
2 answers
Can distilled water conduct electricity this way?
Imagine there is a glass container with a low water level (so that sunlight doesn't lose too much energy when it gets to the bottom of the container).
Suppose the water is distilled (pure $H_{2}O$). It doesn't conduct electricity. Still, let's dip…
Vikram
- 101
10
votes
1 answer
Why does ionization energy increase with period for transition metals but not for the s and p blocks?
I noticed this the other day, and rather than go hunt in some atomic physics book I thought I'd post it here where the answer will hopefully be more useful to the wider internets.
I was looking at this image, which came up on some social media feed…
Emilio Pisanty
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10
votes
1 answer
How is an atom ionized by electron impact?
Can someone walk me through in detail what happens when an atom is ionized by colliding with an electron?
I would prefer a solid example so I can understand it more concretely.
What I think:
The electron collides with the atom giving it energy, but…
user45220
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8
votes
4 answers
Can ionizing radiation cause a proton to be removed from an atom?
I understand that light of 100nm or less can cause an electron to be ejected from an atom, creating an ion.
Could it instead cause a proton to be ejected from the atom? (This would also be "ionizing")
Does it matter whether the atom is stable? If an…
Gimme the 411
- 181
8
votes
1 answer
Behaviour of Bethe formula as particle energy grows
I have the following formula:
$$\dfrac{dE}{dx} = \dfrac{4 \pi e^4 z^2}{mV^2}NB,$$
where, for example, in the case of relativistic velocity of a particle, we have
$$B = Z\left[ \ln \dfrac{2mV^2}{I} - \ln(1 - \beta^2) - \beta^2 \right].$$
$E$ is the…
The Pointer
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7
votes
5 answers
How can radio radiation ionize gases?
Reading the operational mechanism of Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) on Wikipedia, I encountered the following:
The propellant, a neutral gas such as argon or xenon, is injected into a hollow cylinder... bombards the gas…
C-Consciousness
- 471
7
votes
4 answers
Does ionization process release energy?
Does ionization process release energy?
In the case of helium atoms, to ionize the first electron, energy is injected, which is 24.59 eV of the experimental results.
Will helium emit energy in the process? After the first electron is released, the…
Cang Ye
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6
votes
2 answers
Why are atoms not being ionized during stimulated emission?
To ionize atom at some state, as understand, it must receive the energy of that state, so for a hydrogen atom, being in the ground state it $13.6\ eV$. In the second state, the ionization energy is lower - $3.4\ eV$ and so on.
The important thing,…
Stdugnd4ikbd
- 361
6
votes
4 answers
Can one photon excite two widely-spaced atoms simultaneously?
For example, can a single 1 eV photon excite 0.5 eV transitions in both of two atoms that are widely separated (events outside each other's light-cones)?
In order to excite a transition, the incoming photon energy must be greater than or equal to…
Roger Wood
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