what is the connection between wavelength and light frequency?
They are connected by wave speed...
This is called the wave equation:
frequency*wavelength= wave speed
velocity = frequency x wavelength
The connection between wavelength and light frequency is described by a mathematical relationship known as the wave equation. To understand this connection, we need to explain a few concepts:
1. Wavelength (λ): Wavelength refers to the distance between two successive points on a wave that are in phase, meaning they have the same position in their respective cycles. In the case of light waves, wavelength is typically measured in units of meters (m) or nanometers (nm).
2. Frequency (f): Frequency refers to the number of complete cycles or oscillations of a wave that occur in a given time. For light waves, frequency is measured in units of hertz (Hz), which is equal to one cycle per second.
The wave equation connecting wavelength and frequency is given by:
c = λf
where:
c = speed of light (approximately 3 x 10^8 meters per second),
λ = wavelength, and
f = frequency.
This equation states that the speed of light is equal to the product of the wavelength and the frequency of the light wave.
From this equation, we can determine that as the wavelength of light increases, the frequency decreases, and vice versa. In other words, longer wavelengths correspond to lower frequencies, and shorter wavelengths correspond to higher frequencies.
We can calculate the frequency of light by dividing the speed of light by the wavelength, or calculate the wavelength by dividing the speed of light by the frequency.