Q: 11.31 Crystal diffraction experiments can be performed using X-rays, or electrons accelerated through appropriate voltage. Which probe has greater energy? (For quantitative comparison, take the wavelength of the probe equal to , which is of the order of inter-atomic spacing in the lattice) .
According to De Broglie's equation
The kinetic energy of an electron with De Broglie wavelength is given by
The kinetic energy of photon having wavelength is
Therefore for the given wavelength, a photon has much higher energy than an electron.