Question

A photon of light has a wavelength of 0.050 cm. Calculate the energy.

a. 3.98 x 10⁻17 J
b. 3.97 x 10⁻17 J
c. 3.96 x 10⁻17 J
d. 3.95 x 10⁻17 J

Answer 1

To calculate the energy of a photon with a given wavelength, use the equation E = hc/λ, where E is the energy, h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, and λ is the wavelength.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the energy of a photon, we can use the equation E = hc/λ, where E is the energy, h is Planck's constant (6.626 × 10-34 J × s), c is the speed of light (3 × 108 m/s), and λ is the wavelength in meters.

First, convert the wavelength from centimeters to meters by dividing by 100: 0.050 cm = 0.0005 m.

Then, plug the values into the equation: E = (6.626 × 10-34 J × s)(3 × 108 m/s) / 0.0005 m.

Simplifying this calculation gives us an energy of approximately 3.98 x 10-17 J.