A Compton-scattered x-ray photon has less energy than the incident photon. The scattered photon therefore
A) has the same wavelength as the incident photon.
B) has a longer wavelength than the incident photon.
C) has a shorter wavelength than the incident photon.
D) cannot be assigned a wavelength.
E) has none of these wavelengths.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Compton effect shows that when an x-ray photon is scattered, it loses energy, resulting in an increase in wavelength according to the equation λ' - λ = (h/mc)(1 - cos θ), where λ' is the wavelength of the scattered photon, λ is the initial wavelength, h is Planck's constant, m is the electron mass, c is the speed of light, and θ is the scattering angle.

A Compton-Scattered X-Ray Photon Has Less Energy Than the Incident