Question

Which of the following has the lowest energy?

1) Infrared light (850 nm)
2) Red light (690 nm)
3) Violet light (410 nm)
4) Yellow light (610 nm)
5) All have the same energy

Answer 1

Infrared light (850 nm) has the lowest energy as it has the longest wavelength compared to the other options, which corresponds to lower frequency and energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of the electromagnetic spectrum, different colors of visible light have different amounts of energy based on their wavelengths. Longer wavelengths correspond to a lower frequency and hence less energy, while shorter wavelengths correspond to a higher frequency and more energy.

Given the options provided to the student, infrared light (850 nm) has the longest wavelength and therefore has the lowest energy among the choices. This is because it is beyond the red end of the visible spectrum. By contrast, violet light (410 nm), has the shortest wavelength of the options given and carries the most energy.

Therefore, the answer to the student's question is that infrared light (850 nm) has the lowest energy.