Understanding the Relationship Between Wavelength and Energy in Light: A Key Concept in Physics

a fixed quantity of light energy; the shorter the wavelength of light, the greater the energy of a photon

Light energy is composed of small particles called photons

Light energy is composed of small particles called photons. Each photon carries a fixed quantity of energy, which is determined by its wavelength. The wavelength of light refers to the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs of a light wave.

According to the electromagnetic spectrum, light waves with shorter wavelengths, such as gamma rays and X-rays, have higher energies compared to waves with longer wavelengths, such as radio waves. This means that as the wavelength of light decreases, the energy of the corresponding photon increases.

The relationship between wavelength and energy can be understood using the equation:

Energy = Planck’s constant × Frequency

Since speed of light = Frequency × Wavelength, we can substitute Frequency with speed of light divided by wavelength:

Energy = Planck’s constant × (speed of light / wavelength)

From this equation, we can observe that as the wavelength decreases, the frequency increases, resulting in higher energy photons. This relationship is often described as an inverse relationship, where shorter wavelengths correspond to higher energies.

To summarize, the shorter the wavelength of light, the greater the energy of a photon. This concept is important in understanding various phenomena in physics, such as the photoelectric effect and the interaction of light with matter.

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