15.6 Compton Scattering

Compton Scattering

Compton scattering occurs when a photon collides with a free electron, an electron not bound to an atom. This collision will conserve momentum and energy, just like any other elastic collision. The photon will hit the electron with a certain energy and wavelength. After the collision, the photon will have lower energy, and therefore a longer wavelength. This is called the Compton Effect, which happens as light changes direction when it hits an electron. The energy and momentum of the photon can be found with the equations ${E=hf}$ and ${p=\frac{h}{\lambda}}$.