Megaelectron-volts
Abbreviation/Symbol:
- MeV
Unit of:
- Energy and power
Worldwide use:
- Widely used in nuclear, atomic and particle physics
Definition:
One megaelectron volt is the energy acquired by an electron when accelerated through a potential difference of 1,000,000 volts.It is equal to 1.602 × 10−13 joules.
Common references:
- The rest energy of an electron is approx. .5 MeV
Usage context:
Commonly encountered when dealing with atomic and nuclear processes
Component units:
- Often subdivided into 1,000 electronvolts
Multiples:
- There are 1,000 Megaelectronvolts in a Gigaelectronvolt, the units can be further expanded into Teraelectronvolt, etc.