Calculating the Energy of a Photon
What is the energy of a photon with a wavelength of 617 nm?
The energy of the photon with a wavelength of 617 nm can be calculated using the formula:
E = hc/λ
Where:
E is the energy of the photon
h is Planck's constant (approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 J·s)
c is the speed of light (approximately 3.00 x 10^8 m/s)
λ is the wavelength of the photon
Step 1: Convert the wavelength from nanometers (nm) to meters (m):
617 nm = 617 x 10^-9 m
Step 2: Substitute the values into the equation:
E = (6.626 x 10^-34 J·s) x (3.00 x 10^8 m/s) / (617 x 10^-9 m)
Step 3: Calculate the energy of the photon:
E ≈ 3.21 x 10^-19 J
Understanding the Calculation
When calculating the energy of a photon, the formula E = hc/λ is used, where h is Planck's constant and c is the speed of light. The key step in the calculation is to convert the wavelength from nanometers to meters to ensure consistent units.
Step 1: The wavelength of 617 nm is converted to meters by multiplying by 10^-9 to get 617 x 10^-9 m.
Step 2: The values for h, c, and the converted wavelength are substituted into the equation E = hc/λ.
Step 3: The energy of the photon is calculated as approximately 3.21 x 10^-19 J, with the correct number of significant digits.
By following these steps and using the appropriate constants, we can accurately determine the energy of a photon based on its wavelength.