The x-ray K or L-absorption edge shifts of V, Mn, Mo, Zn, Cu, Co, Pb, Ga, Fe, and Y, when they undergo chemical combination and form compounds, have been calculated. It has been found that the major contribution to the chemical shift comes from the change in the Fermi energy of a metal when it forms a compound. The calculated values for the change in Fermi energy correspond well with the values observed by several workers for the chemical shift.
