Question

Question 7 (1 point)
A student records the energy and wavelength of different electromagnetic waves in the table shown. (The abbreviation "eV" means an electron volt, a unit of energy.)


Electromagnetic wave Wavelength Energy in eV
? 0.000000000001 1,000,000
X-ray 0.00000001 1000
ultraviolet 0.0000006 10

Which electromagnetic wave should the student write in place of the question mark?

a
radio
b
microwave
c
gamma ray
d
infrared wave

Answer 1

c) gamma ray

Reason: Energy and wavelength are inversely related (E = hc/λ). A wavelength of 1×10^−12 m corresponds to an energy on the order of 10^6 eV, which is in the gamma-ray part of the spectrum.