Question

The kinetic energy of the photoelectron energies is dependent on _________ of the atom, which makes XPS useful to identify the oxide state.

(a) Mass

(b) Charge

(c) Chemical environment

(d) Volume

This question was posed to me in an internship interview.

My question is taken from Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis topic in section Electron and Ion Spectrometers of Analytical Instrumentation

Answer 1

Correct option is (c) Chemical environment

To elaborate: The kinetic energy of the photoelectron energies is dependent on the chemical environment of the atom, which makes XPS useful to identify the oxide state. It also helps to identify the ligands of the atom.