Final answer:
To convert 500 nm wavelength to energy in joules, use the equation E = hc/λ, resulting in approximately 3.972 x 10^-19 J.
Step-by-step explanation:
To convert 500 nanometers in wavelength to energy in joules you can use the equation E = hc/λ, where E is the energy in joules, h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10-34 J·s), c is the speed of light in a vacuum (3.00 x 108 m/s), and λ (lambda) is the wavelength in meters. To perform the calculation, first convert the wavelength from nanometers to meters (1 nm = 10-9 m), so 500 nm is 500 x 10-9 m or 5 x 10-7 m. Next, plug in the values into the equation:
E = (6.626 x 10-34 J·s) x (3.00 x 108 m/s) / (5 x 10-7 m)
Doing the math gives:
E = 3.972 x 10-19 J
Therefore, the energy associated with a 500 nm photon is approximately 3.972 x 10-19 joules.