Practice portal › Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation › de Broglie Wavelength and Accelerating Potential

When a proton is accelerated through 1 V, its kinetic energy will be:

Asked in AIPMT 1999 · Accelerated through a potential difference

Answer: (1) 1 eV

Step-by-step solution

A charge q falling through a potential difference V gains kinetic energy qV.

A proton carries q=+e, so it gains eV.

With V=1 V that is 1.6×10⁻¹⁹ J.

One electron-volt is defined as exactly this amount, so the kinetic energy is 1 eV.

The result is the same for any singly charged particle: an electron through 1 V also gains 1 eV.

Why the other options are wrong

More de Broglie Wavelength and Accelerating Potential questionsAll de Broglie Wavelength and Accelerating Potential questions →

Reading this solution needs no sign-in. You only sign in to practise against the clock and keep your progress.

Practise this with a timer