Microwave ovens emit microwave energy with a wavelength of 12.5 cm. What is the energy of exactly one photon of this microwave radiation?
E = h*c/wavelength gives J energy for one photon. Wavelength must be changed to meters.
To find the energy of one photon of microwave radiation, we can use the equation:
Energy = Planck's constant × frequency
Since wavelength (λ) and frequency (f) are related by the formula:
c = λf
where c is the speed of light, we can rearrange it to solve for frequency:
f = c / λ
Now, let's substitute the values we have:
Speed of light (c) = 3 × 10^8 meters per second
Wavelength (λ) = 12.5 cm = 0.125 meters
Using the formula for frequency, we can calculate it:
f = 3 × 10^8 / 0.125 = 2.4 × 10^9 Hz
Now, we can use Planck's constant (h) which is 6.63 × 10^-34 J·s, and the frequency (f) to find the energy of one photon:
Energy = h × f
Energy = 6.63 × 10^-34 × 2.4 × 10^9 = 15.912 × 10^-25 Joules
Therefore, the energy of one photon of microwave radiation with a wavelength of 12.5 cm is approximately 15.912 × 10^-25 Joules.