Which photon carries the highest energy?
a) Infrared.
b) Red light.
c) Blue light.
d) X-ray.
To determine which photon carries the highest energy among the given options, we need to understand the relationship between energy and the wavelength of light.
First, it's important to note that photons are packets of electromagnetic radiation, and the energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency or inversely proportional to its wavelength. The energy of a photon can be calculated using the equation E = hf, where E represents the energy, h is Planck's constant (6.63 × 10^-34 J·s), and f is the frequency of the electromagnetic wave associated with the photon.
When it comes to the given options:
a) Infrared light: Infrared light has longer wavelengths than the visible spectrum, and therefore, has lower energy photons.
b) Red light: Red light, being a part of the visible spectrum, has longer wavelengths than blue light but shorter wavelengths than infrared light. Hence, the photons of red light have higher energy compared to infrared but lower energy than blue light.
c) Blue light: Blue light has shorter wavelengths than both red light and infrared light, which means the photons of blue light have higher energy than both red light and infrared light.
d) X-ray: X-rays have very short wavelengths compared to all the other options mentioned. Consequently, x-ray photons have the highest energy among the given options.
Therefore, the correct answer is d) X-ray.