Ok so I think I have this correct, but I'm not sure.
The question is: what is the frequency of green light, which has a wavelength of 4.90 x 10 ^-7 m?
Since all electromagnetic waves travel at
3.00 x 10^8 m/s (c), and
c= wavelength x frequency,
The problem is:
(3.00 x 10^8) / (4.90 x 10^-7) = frequency
Right?
I got .61 x 10^15 as a result.
Is this right?
Yes, but I would put it in scientific notation 6.1 x 10^14 hz
In addition to putting it in scientific notation as Bob Pursley suggested, I would add another place. You have three significant figures in 4.90 and 3 s.f. in 3.00; therefore, you are allowed 3 in the answer or 6.12 x 10^14 Hz.
Yes, you are correct in your approach to find the frequency of the green light.
The formula c = wavelength x frequency relates the speed of light (c) to its wavelength and frequency. To find the frequency, you need to rearrange the equation to solve for frequency.
In your calculation, you correctly used the formula:
frequency = (speed of light) / (wavelength)
Plugging in the values:
frequency = (3.00 x 10^8 m/s) / (4.90 x 10^-7 m)
To divide these values, you need to divide the numerator by the denominator:
frequency = (3.00 x 10^8) / (4.90 x 10^-7)
To divide numbers written in scientific notation, you subtract the exponents:
frequency = (3.00 / 4.90) x 10^(8-(-7)) = 0.61224489796 x 10^15
Rounding the result to two significant figures, the frequency of green light with a wavelength of 4.90 x 10^-7 m is approximately 0.61 x 10^15 Hz (or 6.1 x 10^14 Hz).
So, your final answer should be 6.1 x 10^14 Hz, not 0.61 x 10^15 Hz.