Electron Volt to Erg Converter

An electron volt (eV) is a unit of energy equal to approximately 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ joules. It represents the kinetic energy gained by an electron when accelerated through an electric potential difference of one volt.

The electron volt was introduced in the early 20th century with the development of atomic and nuclear physics. It provided a convenient energy scale for atomic and subatomic processes, where joules would result in extremely small numbers with many decimal places.

Electron volts are extensively used in atomic physics, nuclear physics, particle physics, and materials science. They're standard for measuring atomic binding energies, photon energies, particle accelerator energies, and electronic band gaps in semiconductors.

An erg is a unit of energy in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system, equal to 10⁻⁷ joules. It represents the work done by a force of one dyne acting through a distance of one centimeter.

The erg was developed as part of the CGS unit system in the late 19th century. It was widely used in physics and engineering before the adoption of SI units, particularly in mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetic calculations where CGS units were preferred.

Ergs are rarely used in modern applications, appearing mainly in historical scientific literature and some specialized physics contexts. They've been largely replaced by joules in all practical applications, though they may still appear in some older scientific references and specialized calculations.