The temperature at which the probability that an energy state with an ...
To determine the temperature at which the probability of an energy state above the Fermi level being occupied by an electron is 10%, we can use the Boltzmann distribution equation. The Boltzmann distribution describes the probability of an energy state being occupied at a given temperature.
The Boltzmann distribution equation is given by:
P(E) = (1 / Z) * exp(-E / kT)
Where:
P(E) is the probability of the energy state being occupied,
Z is the partition function,
E is the energy difference between the state and the Fermi level,
k is the Boltzmann constant, and
T is the temperature.
We are given that the energy difference (E) is 0.2 eV and the probability (P(E)) is 10%. We need to solve for the temperature (T).
Let's rearrange the equation to solve for T:
T = -E / (k * ln(P(E) * Z))
Since we are only comparing the temperatures, we can ignore the partition function (Z) since it will cancel out when comparing two temperatures. Therefore, the equation becomes:
T = -E / (k * ln(P(E)))
Now we can substitute the given values into the equation:
T = -0.2 eV / (k * ln(0.1))
Next, we need to convert the energy from electron volts (eV) to joules (J) since the Boltzmann constant (k) is in J/K:
1 eV = 1.6 x 10^-19 J
T = -0.2 * (1.6 x 10^-19) / (k * ln(0.1))
Now we can substitute the value of the Boltzmann constant:
k = 1.38 x 10^-23 J/K
T = -0.2 * (1.6 x 10^-19) / (1.38 x 10^-23 * ln(0.1))
Calculating this expression will give us the value of T in kelvin. After evaluating the expression, we find that the temperature is approximately 1055 K.
Therefore, the correct answer is option A) 1055 K.