1. What is Photon Wavelength?

The wavelength of a photon is the distance over which the photon's wave shape repeats. It is inversely proportional to the photon's energy and is a fundamental property in quantum mechanics and electromagnetic theory.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the photon wavelength equation:

Where:

• \( \lambda \) — Wavelength in meters (m)
• \( h \) — Planck's constant (6.62607015 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s)
• \( c \) — Speed of light in vacuum (299,792,458 m/s)
• \( E \) — Photon energy in joules (J)

Explanation: The equation shows that higher energy photons have shorter wavelengths, while lower energy photons have longer wavelengths.

3. Importance of Wavelength Calculation

Details: Calculating photon wavelength is essential in fields like quantum physics, spectroscopy, optical communications, and understanding electromagnetic radiation across the spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter photon energy in joules, Planck's constant in J·s (default value provided), and speed of light in m/s (default value provided). All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How is this related to photon frequency?
A: Wavelength and frequency are related by \( c = \lambda \times \nu \), where \( \nu \) is frequency. Higher frequency means shorter wavelength.

Q2: What are typical photon wavelengths?
A: Visible light ranges from 380-750 nm, X-rays are 0.01-10 nm, radio waves can be meters to kilometers.

Q3: Why use joules for energy?
A: The SI system uses joules, but electronvolts (eV) are also common in physics (1 eV = 1.60218 × 10⁻¹⁹ J).

Q4: Does wavelength change in different media?
A: Yes, wavelength changes when light enters a medium with different refractive index, though frequency remains constant.

Q5: What's the significance of Planck's constant?
A: It's a fundamental constant that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency (E = h × ν).