Which has more energy, a photon of ultraviolet radiation or a photon of yellow light?

A photon of ultraviolet radiation

The energy of a photon is determined by its frequency, with higher frequencies corresponding to increased energy. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has a higher frequency than yellow light, therefore a photon of UV radiation carries more energy than a photon of yellow light.

To understand why UV photons have higher energy, we can refer to the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum categorizes different types of electromagnetic radiation based on their frequencies or wavelengths. UV radiation has a higher frequency and shorter wavelength compared to visible light, where yellow light falls within. Typically, UV light has a wavelength between approximately 10 nanometers (nm) and 400 nm, while yellow light has a wavelength of around 570-590 nm.

To find out the energy of a photon, we can use the equation: E = hf, where E is the energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is the frequency of the photon. Since the frequency of the UV photon is higher than that of the yellow light photon, it means the UV photon will have a greater energy.