The relationship between wavelength, frequency, and energy can be described by the following points:
-
Wavelength (λ): This is the distance between successive peaks of a wave. It is typically measured in meters (m).
-
Frequency (ν): This is the number of cycles of a wave that pass a given point in one second, measured in hertz (Hz).
-
Energy (E): This is the energy of a photon, which can be calculated using the equation:
\[ E = hν \]
where \( E \) is energy, \( h \) is Planck's constant (\(6.626 \times 10^{-34} , \text{J s}\)), and \( ν \) is the frequency.
-
Relationship:
- The frequency (ν) and wavelength (λ) of a wave are inversely related through the speed of light (c), given by the equation:
\[ c = λν \]
where \( c \) is the speed of light in a vacuum (approximately \(3.00 \times 10^8 , \text{m/s}\)).
From this equation, you can see that as the wavelength increases, the frequency decreases (and vice versa).
-
Energy Relation: Since energy is directly proportional to frequency (as per \(E = hν\)), it follows that:
- Higher frequency corresponds to higher energy.
- Longer wavelength corresponds to lower energy.
In summary: Increased frequency results in increased energy, whereas increased wavelength results in decreased energy.
1 answer