What is photon energy? Explain in detail including example and provide summary

Answer 1

Photon energy refers to the amount of energy carried by a single photon, which is a quantum packet of electromagnetic radiation. This energy is directly proportional to the frequency of the radiation, meaning that higher frequency radiation (such as gamma rays) carries more energy per photon, while lower frequency radiation (such as radio waves) carries less energy per photon.

The formula for calculating photon energy is given by E = hf, where E is the energy, h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10^-34 Joule-seconds), and f is the frequency of the radiation in Hertz (cycles per second). This formula shows that the energy of a photon is directly proportional to the frequency of the radiation.

For example, consider a photon of green light with a frequency of approximately 5.3 x 10^14 Hz. Using the formula above, we can calculate its energy as:

E = (6.626 x 10^-34 J-s) x (5.3 x 10^14 Hz) = 3.52 x 10^-19 Joules

This means that each photon of green light carries about 3.52 x 10^-19 Joules of energy.

In summary, photon energy is the amount of energy carried by a single photon of electromagnetic radiation. It is directly proportional to the frequency of the radiation and can be calculated using the formula E = hf. Higher frequency radiation carries more energy per photon, while lower frequency radiation carries less energy per photon.