In what units is electron binding energy measured?

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Multiple Choice

In what units is electron binding energy measured?

Binding energy is the energy needed to remove an electron from an atom, so we express it in energy units that apply per electron. Electron volts (eV) or kiloelectron volts (keV) are the standard choices because they match the atomic-scale energies involved. One eV is a tiny amount of energy (about 1.6×10^-19 joules), so using joules is possible but unwieldy for single-electron energies, while watts measure power and nanometers measure length, neither of which describe energy. In practice, binding energies span from eV for many atomic transitions up to keV for inner-shell electrons in heavier elements, so eV and keV are the most convenient units.

Binding energy is the energy needed to remove an electron from an atom, so we express it in energy units that apply per electron. Electron volts (eV) or kiloelectron volts (keV) are the standard choices because they match the atomic-scale energies involved. One eV is a tiny amount of energy (about 1.6×10^-19 joules), so using joules is possible but unwieldy for single-electron energies, while watts measure power and nanometers measure length, neither of which describe energy. In practice, binding energies span from eV for many atomic transitions up to keV for inner-shell electrons in heavier elements, so eV and keV are the most convenient units.

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