Kiloelectronvolt

Kiloelectronvolt (keV) is a unit of energy equal to 1,000 electronvolts. It is commonly used in the field of nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry to describe the energies of nuclear reactions and radioactive decay.

Definition

A kiloelectronvolt is defined as 1,000 electronvolts. An electronvolt is the amount of kinetic energy gained or lost by a single electron accelerating from rest through an electric potential difference of one volt in vacuum. Therefore, one kiloelectronvolt is equal to 1.602176634×10⁻¹⁶ joules.

Usage

In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, the kiloelectronvolt is used to measure the energy of gamma rays, x-rays, and alpha particles. It is also used in the study of particle physics to measure the energy of subatomic particles, such as protons and neutrons.

Relation to other units

The kiloelectronvolt is part of the series of units used to measure energy in physics. The series starts with the electronvolt and includes the megaelectronvolt (MeV), gigaelectronvolt (GeV), and teraelectronvolt (TeV), each a thousand times larger than the previous.

See also

• Electronvolt
• Nuclear physics
• Nuclear chemistry
• Radioactive decay