Compton Scattering Concepts and Applications

The video tutorial on AstroNaught explains Compton scattering, where a high-frequency photon collides with a charged particle, like an electron, transferring energy and resulting in a wavelength shift. The tutorial covers the assignment of energy and momentum to the photon and electron, the dependence of wavelength shift on scattering angle, and the derivation of the Compton equation using conservation of energy and momentum. The video concludes with the final form of the Compton equation and its significance.

What happens to a photon when it undergoes Compton scattering?

• It gains energy and increases in frequency.

• It remains unchanged in energy and frequency.

• It loses energy and decreases in frequency.

• It splits into two photons.

What is the initial momentum of the electron before the collision in Compton scattering?

• Twice the photon's momentum

• Equal to the electron's mass

• Zero

• Equal to the photon's momentum

How does the scattering angle affect the change in wavelength in Compton scattering?

• The change in wavelength decreases with increasing angle.

• The change in wavelength is independent of the angle.

• The change in wavelength increases with increasing angle.

• The change in wavelength is maximum at zero angle.

Which principle is used to equate the energy of the photon and electron before and after the collision?

• Conservation of mass

• Conservation of charge

• Conservation of energy

• Conservation of angular momentum

What is the Compton wavelength approximately equal to?

• 4.89 picometers

• 1.23 picometers

• 2.43 picometers

• 3.67 picometers

What is the relationship between momentum and wavelength in the context of Compton scattering?

• Momentum is directly proportional to wavelength.

• Momentum is inversely proportional to wavelength.

• Momentum is equal to wavelength.

• Momentum is independent of wavelength.

What is the significance of the Law of Cosines in the derivation of the Compton equation?

• It helps in calculating the energy of the photon.

• It is used to rewrite momentum vectors as scalar quantities.

• It is used to calculate the speed of light.

• It determines the initial energy of the electron.

What happens to the terms with p squared and p' squared during the derivation of the Compton equation?

• They are divided by the electron's mass.

• They are added together.

• They are multiplied by 2.

• They are canceled out.

What is the final step in deriving the Compton equation?

• Adding the initial and final energies.

• Dividing by the electron's charge.

• Multiplying by the speed of light.

• Substituting Planck's constant over wavelength.

What is the role of algebraic manipulation in deriving the Compton equation?

• To eliminate the need for momentum conservation.

• To rearrange the equation to derive the Compton equation.

• To calculate the speed of the electron.

• To simplify the equation for energy conservation.