Question

Difference between photoelectric effect and compton effect

Answer 1

In the photoelectric effect, the entire energy of the incident photon is acquired by a single electron but, in the Compton effect, the incident photon transfers only a part of its energy to an electron. The photoelectric effect is a low energy phenomenon, and the interacted photons disappear just after they deliver their energy to electrons. The Compton effect, on the other hand, is a mid-energy phenomenon, and the interacted photons are scattered by the electrons. This is the main difference between Photoelectric Effect and Compton Effect.