Final answer:
The frequency of a laser beam with a wavelength of 650 nm is found by dividing the speed of light (3 x 10⁸ m/s) by the wavelength in meters (650 nm expressed as 650 x 10⁻⁻ m), resulting in a frequency of approximately 4.62 x 10ⁱ⁴ Hz.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the frequency of a laser pointer's light with a wavelength of 650 nm, we can use the formula λν = c, where λ is the wavelength, ν (the Greek letter 'nu') is the frequency, and c is the speed of light in a vacuum (3 x 10⁸ m/s). First, convert the wavelength from nanometers to meters by multiplying by 1 x 10⁻⁹ (since 1 nm = 1 x 10⁻⁹ m). Then, divide the speed of light by the wavelength in meters to get the frequency in Hz.
Calculation steps:
- Convert wavelength from nm to meters: 650 nm = 650 x 10⁻⁻ m.
- Use the speed of light (c = 3 x 10⁸ m/s) and the converted wavelength to calculate frequency (ν).
- ν = c / λ
- ν = 3 x 10⁸ m/s / 650 x 10⁻⁻ m
- ν = 4.62 x 10ⁱ⁴ Hz
Therefore, the frequency of the laser pointer's light is approximately 4.62 x 10ⁱ⁴ Hz.