eV
Definition
The electronvolt equals 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ joules — the energy gained by an electron accelerated through 1 volt. It is the natural energy unit of atomic, nuclear and particle physics. Chemical bonds are a few eV; LHC protons reach 7 TeV = 7 × 10¹² eV.
Common uses
- Particle physics (TeV, GeV, MeV)
- Atomic and molecular physics
- Semiconductor band gaps
🌍 Real-world scale
Silicon band gap: 1.12 eV. Hydrogen ionization: 13.6 eV. LHC proton: 7 TeV. Photon wavelength 500 nm = 2.5 eV.
Convert from electronvolts
9 conversionsElectronvolt to Joule1 eV = 1.6022e-19 JElectronvolt to Kilojoule1 eV = 1.6022e-22 kJElectronvolt to Megajoule1 eV = 1.6022e-25 MJElectronvolt to Kilowatt-Hour1 eV = 4.4505e-26 kWhElectronvolt to Watt-Hour1 eV = 4.4505e-23 WhElectronvolt to Calorie1 eV = 3.8293e-20 calElectronvolt to Kilocalorie1 eV = 3.8293e-23 kcalElectronvolt to British Thermal Unit1 eV = 1.5186e-22 BTUElectronvolt to Therm1 eV = 1.5186e-27 thm
Convert to electronvolts
9 conversionsJoule to Electronvolt1 J = 6.2415e18 eVKilojoule to Electronvolt1 kJ = 6.2415e21 eVMegajoule to Electronvolt1 MJ = 6.2415e24 eVKilowatt-Hour to Electronvolt1 kWh = 2.2469e25 eVWatt-Hour to Electronvolt1 Wh = 2.2469e22 eVCalorie to Electronvolt1 cal = 2.6114e19 eVKilocalorie to Electronvolt1 kcal = 2.6114e22 eVBritish Thermal Unit to Electronvolt1 BTU = 6.5851e21 eVTherm to Electronvolt1 thm = 6.5851e26 eV
Tips
- 1 eV ≈ 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ J.
- Particle physics scales: eV → keV → MeV → GeV → TeV (1000× each).
- Photon energy (eV) × wavelength (nm) ≈ 1240.
Common mistakes
- Confusing eV with V (volt) — eV is energy, V is electric potential.
- Mixing scales: treating MeV as twice eV — it's a million times larger.
- Using eV for macroscopic energy — unwieldy numbers.
FAQ about the electronvolt
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