Physics A-Level
Compton effect
What Compton effect means in Physics A-Level, as defined for OCR.
Definition of Compton effect
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Compton effect in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: OCR
A photon scatters off a loosely bound or free electron, transferring some energy and producing a recoil electron and a lower-energy scattered photon.
Topics that use Compton effect
- Nuclear fission and fusion (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- Alpha and beta decay
- Barium
- Binding energy
- Binding energy per nucleon against nucleon number curve
- Chain reactions
- Characteristic X-rays from shell transitions
- Computer reconstruction of attenuation data
- Conservation laws in particle interactions
Using Compton effect in the exam
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