MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) Interview Question:

A 15.0-eV photon collides with and ionizes a hydrogen atom. If the atom was originally in the ground state (ionization potential =13.6 eV), what is the kinetic energy of the ejected electron?

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1. 1.4 eV
2. 13.6 eV
3. 15.0 eV
4. 28.6 eV

Answer:

Explanation: Conservation of energy requires that the 15.0 eV photon energy first provides the ionization energy to unbind the electron, and then allows any excess energy to become the electron's kinetic energy. The kinetic energy is this case is 15.0 eV-13.6 eV = 1.4 eV. Thus the correct answer is A.
Submitted by: Administrator