Purple light in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum has a shorter wavelength than does the green region of the spectrum. Which of the following can you conclude? Is it:
a)a photon of purple light has a higher frequency than does a photon of green light or
b) purple light will travel faster than green light under the same condition.
I want to choose A but I'm unsure. Please help and explain for me if you have time. Thank you!
wavelength and frequency are related in the following way.
c = frequency x wavelength where c is a constant (the speed of light at 3 x 10^8 meters/second). So if wavelength is shorter, the frequency must be larger in order for the constant to be met. Looking at it another way, if f goes up, w must go down. If w goes up, f must go down.
Thank you so much, Dr. Bob! :)
You are correct! The correct conclusion is (a) - a photon of purple light has a higher frequency than a photon of green light.
The wavelength and frequency of light are inversely related, meaning that as the wavelength decreases, the frequency increases. In the visible spectrum, purple light has a shorter wavelength than green light. Since frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional, this means that purple light has a higher frequency than green light.
However, the speed of light in a vacuum is constant, regardless of the wavelength or frequency. So, (b) purple light will not travel faster than green light under the same conditions.
To determine whether a photon of purple light has a higher frequency than a photon of green light, we need to understand the relationship between wavelength and frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum.
The electromagnetic spectrum includes a range of wavelengths and frequencies, with shorter wavelengths corresponding to higher frequencies. In other words, as the wavelength decreases, the frequency increases.
In the given scenario, it is stated that purple light has a shorter wavelength than green light. Therefore, we can conclude that purple light has a higher frequency than green light. This means that option a) is correct - a photon of purple light has a higher frequency than a photon of green light.
However, it is important to note that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant and does not depend on the color (wavelength or frequency) of light. So, option b) is incorrect - purple light will not travel faster than green light under the same conditions.
In summary, the correct conclusion is option a) - a photon of purple light has a higher frequency than a photon of green light.