Convert Square Yard (yd²) to Electron Cross Section (σₑ) instantly.
About these units
Square Yard (yd²)
A square yard equals 9 square feet or 0.836 m². Historically used in the British Empire and still used in the US and UK for certain materials, the square yard appears frequently in carpeting, turf, paving stones, and textiles. Its intermediate size makes it suitable for areas larger than a square foot but smaller than a square meter, giving it usefulness in construction and home improvement. Although square meters have replaced square yards in most official contexts, industries such as carpeting, sports field design, and gardening continue to use this practical measure.
Electron Cross Section (σₑ)
The electron cross section, often denoted σₑ, is not a fixed unit but rather a physical area representing the effective interaction size of an electron in scattering experiments. It is typically expressed in barns or submultiples such as square femtometers (fm²). Electron cross sections are vital in quantum electrodynamics (QED), X-ray scattering, atomic physics, and materials science. These values describe how electrons interact with photons, atoms, or other electrons, determining phenomena such as absorption, conductivity, and radiation shielding. Because electron interactions are probabilistic, σₑ provides a statistical measure of likelihood rather than a physical surface, illustrating how area units are used conceptually at quantum scales.