A helium-neon laser emits light of wavelength 633 nanometers(nm). Light from an argon laser has a wavelength of 515 nm. Which laser emits the higher-frequency light?
Longer wavelength means lower frequency. They are inversely proportional
Well, let's put on our thinking caps for a moment. The frequency of light is inversely proportional to its wavelength. So, the shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency.
Given that the helium-neon laser has a longer wavelength of 633 nm and the argon laser has a shorter wavelength of 515 nm, it's safe to say that the argon laser emits light with a higher frequency. It's like comparing a snail to a cheetah in terms of speed - the snail (helium-neon laser) just can't keep up with the cheetah (argon laser) in terms of frequency.
To determine which laser emits the higher-frequency light, we can use the equation:
frequency = speed of light / wavelength
First, let's convert the given wavelengths into meters:
633 nm = 633 x 10^-9 m
515 nm = 515 x 10^-9 m
Now, we can calculate the frequencies of the two lasers:
For the helium-neon laser:
frequency = speed of light / wavelength
frequency = 3 x 10^8 m/s / (633 x 10^-9 m)
frequency = 4.74 x 10^14 Hz
For the argon laser:
frequency = speed of light / wavelength
frequency = 3 x 10^8 m/s / (515 x 10^-9 m)
frequency = 5.83 x 10^14 Hz
Comparing the two frequencies, we can see that the argon laser emits light with a higher frequency than the helium-neon laser.
To determine which laser emits the higher-frequency light, we need to recall the relationship between frequency (f), wavelength (λ), and the speed of light (c).
The equation that relates these quantities is:
c = f * λ
Where:
c = speed of light (3 * 10^8 meters per second)
f = frequency (in hertz)
λ = wavelength (in meters)
From the given information, we have:
Wavelength of helium-neon laser (λ1) = 633 nm = 633 * 10^(-9) meters
Wavelength of argon laser (λ2) = 515 nm = 515 * 10^(-9) meters
To find the frequency of each laser, we can rearrange the equation:
f = c / λ
For the helium-neon laser:
f1 = c / λ1
f1 = 3 * 10^8 / (633 * 10^(-9))
f1 ≈ 4.74 * 10^14 Hz
For the argon laser:
f2 = c / λ2
f2 = 3 * 10^8 / (515 * 10^(-9))
f2 ≈ 5.82 * 10^14 Hz
Comparing the frequencies, we can see that the argon laser emits light with a higher frequency of approximately 5.82 * 10^14 Hz.