Compton Scattering

This interactive simulator explores Compton Scattering in Electricity & Magnetism. Photon wavelength shift vs angle; λ_C ≈ 2.426 pm. Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Best once you already know the basic definitions and want to build intuition. Typical context: Electricity & Magnetism.

Key terms

  • compton
  • scattering
  • compton scattering
  • electricity
  • magnetism

Incoming X-ray or γ-ray (λ) scatters through angle θ; the outgoing photon is redder. Try θ = 180° for maximum shift (backscatter).

Before
2.40 pm
After
4.83 pm

How it works

Elastic scattering on quasi-free electrons; at high energy the wavelength shift is a clean test of photon momentum.

Key equations

λ′ − λ = λ_C (1 − cos θ), λ_C ≈ 2.426 pm