What a Flying Electron Tells You

You'll learnhow a photoelectron spectrum's peak position and peak height answer two different questions.

Shine light on a sample of neon and electrons come flying out of it. Measure how much energy each one carried away and you learn how tightly the atom was holding it. Do that for every electron and you get a picture with two readings in it. Twelve short steps; press Next for each one.

12 STEPS · 6 QUICK CHECKS · BINDING ENERGY IN MJ/mol · v3

light in · electrons out · one peak per group of them

Before you start

What you're looking at

A neon atom being hit by light, and the bar chart the escaping electrons build.

The question

What does a peak's place on the axis mean, and what does its height mean?

Step 1 / 12