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Compton effect

scattering of photons off electrons in an atom

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The Compton effect is what happens when light particles called photons bounce off electrons in an atom, similar to how a ball might bounce off another object. This discovery was important because it showed that light behaves like particles with specific energy and momentum, which helped scientists understand the true nature of light.

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Commons category: Compton scattering
time of discovery or invention: 1922-00-00

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Compton scattering (or the Compton effect) is the quantum theory of scattering of a high-frequency photon through an interaction with a charged particle, usually an electron. Specifically, when the photon interacts with a loosely bound electron, it releases the electron from an outer valence shell of an atom or molecule.

The effect was discovered in 1923 by Arthur Holly Compton while researching the scattering of X-rays by light elements, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1927. The Compton effect significantly deviated from dominating classical theories, using both special relativity and quantum mechanics to explain the interaction between high frequency photons and charged particles.