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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
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
The neutrinos that the astronomers saw have phenomenally high energy: more than a tera-electron volt each.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Dec. 2022
Some anomalous results hinted at a sterile neutrino with a mass of about 1 electron volt (eV), at least 10 times more than ordinary neutrinos weigh.
—Byadrian Cho, science.org, 11 Jan. 2023
Similarly, the electron volt (eV), which measures the energy of particles in both astronomy and physics, could instead be expressed in terms of attojoules (aJ, 10^−18 joules).
—Alison Klesman, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'electron volt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1930, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near electron volt
Cite this Entry
“Electron volt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electron%20volt. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
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
More from Merriam-Webster on electron volt
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about electron volt
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