A photon collides with a free electron at rest and is subsequently scattered
PHYSICS · Multi-part · AP · Physics 2: Algebra-based · Modern Physics · Modern Physics
Problem
A photon collides with a free electron at rest and is subsequently scattered. Consider two separate events that differ only in the scattering angle of the photon.
• Event 1 – The photon is scattered through an angle of 30°.
• Event 2 – The photon is scattered through an angle of 120°.
The incident photons in the two events are identical and no other forces act.
(a) Determine the numerical value of the ratio Δλ30Δλ120, where Δλθ represents the change in wavelength of the photon scattered through angle θ. Show your reasoning.
(b) Which event results in the larger fractional loss of photon energy, Event 1 or Event 2? Justify your answer without performing any additional numerical calculations.