A neutral sodium atom has an ionization potential of X=5.1eV. Sodium has mass number A=23.
a) What is the minimum speed of a free electron that can ionize a sodium atom in the ground state?
b) What is the temperature of a gas in which the average particle energy is just enough to ionize a sodium atom in the ground state?
c) Given the temperature from (b) calculate the thermal Doppler broadening Δλ/λ of a spectral line of sodium.