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Ch.6 - Electronic Structure of Atoms
Chapter 6, Problem 25b

(b) Calculate the energy of a photon of radiation whose wavelength is 413 nm.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Convert the wavelength from nanometers to meters by using the conversion factor: 1 nm = 1 x 10^{-9} m.
Use the speed of light equation: c = \lambda \nu, where c is the speed of light (3.00 x 10^8 m/s), \lambda is the wavelength in meters, and \nu is the frequency in s^{-1}. Rearrange the equation to solve for frequency: \nu = \frac{c}{\lambda}.
Substitute the wavelength in meters into the equation to calculate the frequency.
Use Planck's equation to find the energy of the photon: E = h\nu, where E is the energy in joules, h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10^{-34} J·s), and \nu is the frequency calculated in the previous step.
Substitute the frequency and Planck's constant into the equation to calculate the energy of the photon.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Photon Energy

The energy of a photon is directly related to its frequency and inversely related to its wavelength. It can be calculated using the equation E = hν, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10^-34 J·s), and ν (nu) is the frequency of the radiation. The frequency can be derived from the wavelength using the speed of light equation, c = λν.
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Wavelength and Frequency Relationship

Wavelength (λ) and frequency (ν) are inversely related through the speed of light (c), which is approximately 3.00 x 10^8 m/s. The relationship is expressed as c = λν, meaning that as the wavelength increases, the frequency decreases, and vice versa. This relationship is crucial for converting wavelength measurements into frequency for energy calculations.
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Planck's Constant

Planck's constant is a fundamental constant in quantum mechanics that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency. It has a value of approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 J·s. This constant is essential for calculating photon energy and highlights the quantized nature of electromagnetic radiation, where energy is emitted or absorbed in discrete packets called quanta.
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