electron volt
noun
: a unit of energy equal to the energy gained by an electron in passing from a point of low potential to a point one volt higher in potential : 1.60 × 10−19 joule
Examples of electron volt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The researchers estimate that the neutrino’s energy was on the order of 220 peta electron volts, more than 30 times higher than the most energetic neutrino detected prior to the new observations.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 12 Feb. 2025
The upshot is an X-ray source with an energy of more than 20,000 electron volts.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2025
Silicon has a band gap of 1.1 electron volts, while silicon carbide’s ranges from 3.3 to 3.4 eV.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2024
This isotope requires only about eight electron volts of energy to jump to an excited state, and physicists have no idea why.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
Exciting something so tiny and heavy requires thousands or millions of electron volts of energy, usually in the form of photons that are precisely tuned to incredibly specific frequencies.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
In the mid-2000s the Mainz Neutrino Mass Experiment in Germany had set the upper limit of a neutrino’s mass at 2.3 electron volts.
—Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 15 June 2022
Mechanical deformations will open a bandgap, and bandgaps up to 0.2 electron volts have been demonstrated.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Jan. 2024
The bandgap of a semiconductor is defined as the energy, in electron volts, needed for an electron in the semiconductor lattice to jump from the valence band to the conduction band.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 12 Feb. 2025
The upshot is an X-ray source with an energy of more than 20,000 electron volts.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2025
Silicon has a band gap of 1.1 electron volts, while silicon carbide’s ranges from 3.3 to 3.4 eV.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2024
This isotope requires only about eight electron volts of energy to jump to an excited state, and physicists have no idea why.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
Exciting something so tiny and heavy requires thousands or millions of electron volts of energy, usually in the form of photons that are precisely tuned to incredibly specific frequencies.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
In the mid-2000s the Mainz Neutrino Mass Experiment in Germany had set the upper limit of a neutrino’s mass at 2.3 electron volts.
—Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 15 June 2022
Mechanical deformations will open a bandgap, and bandgaps up to 0.2 electron volts have been demonstrated.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Jan. 2024
The bandgap of a semiconductor is defined as the energy, in electron volts, needed for an electron in the semiconductor lattice to jump from the valence band to the conduction band.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Electron volt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electron%20volt. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share