Question
8 marksAnswer all parts. The photon energies used below are a simplified teaching example, not measurements of a particular Chandra source.
1(a)
A telescope detects X-rays in a lower-frequency band and a higher-frequency band. Both travel through a vacuum.
Compare the energy per photon and the wavelength in the lower-frequency band with those in the higher-frequency band. Explain each comparison using a relevant relationship.
[2 marks]
1(b)
An isolated hydrogen atom is initially in its ground state. Removing its electron requires . It absorbs one ultraviolet photon with energy .
Explain why ionisation is possible. Calculate the kinetic energy of the released electron in eV, ignoring recoil of the remaining ion. State the charge left on that ion.
[3 marks]
1(c)
A different ultraviolet beam has photons of energy . It passes through a dilute gas of hydrogen atoms initially in their ground state. The beam's intensity is increased while its frequency stays the same.
A pupil says that the extra intensity will let a single photon ionise a ground-state hydrogen atom. Explain why this is wrong.
Consider only single-photon absorption. Ignore heating, collisions, prior excitation and multiphoton processes.
[3 marks]
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