Find frequency of 1 MeV photon?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to calculate the frequency of a photon with an energy of 1 MeV (mega electron volts). To solve this, we will use the formula that relates energy and frequency, given by E = h * f, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is frequency.
Answer
The frequency of a 1 MeV photon is approximately \( f \approx 2.41 \times 10^{20} \, \text{Hz} \).
Answer for screen readers
The frequency of a 1 MeV photon is approximately ( f \approx 2.41 \times 10^{20} , \text{Hz} ).
Steps to Solve
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Identify the known values
We are given the energy of the photon, which is ( E = 1 , \text{MeV} ). We need to convert this energy into joules for the calculation.
Since ( 1 , \text{MeV} = 1.6 \times 10^{-13} , \text{J} ), we have:
$$ E = 1.6 \times 10^{-13} , \text{J} $$ -
Use the energy-frequency relation
The formula that relates energy (E) and frequency (f) is given by:
$$ E = h \cdot f $$
where ( h ) is Planck's constant, approximately ( 6.626 \times 10^{-34} , \text{J s} ). -
Rearrange the equation to solve for frequency
Rearranging the formula to find frequency gives:
$$ f = \frac{E}{h} $$ -
Substitute known values
Now substitute the known values of ( E ) and ( h ) into the equation:
$$ f = \frac{1.6 \times 10^{-13} , \text{J}}{6.626 \times 10^{-34} , \text{J s}} $$ -
Calculate the frequency
Perform the division:
$$ f \approx \frac{1.6 \times 10^{-13}}{6.626 \times 10^{-34}} \approx 2.41 \times 10^{20} , \text{Hz} $$
The frequency of a 1 MeV photon is approximately ( f \approx 2.41 \times 10^{20} , \text{Hz} ).
More Information
The frequency of a photon determines its position in the electromagnetic spectrum. Photons with higher energy (like the 1 MeV photon) have correspondingly higher frequencies.
Tips
- Forgetting to convert MeV to joules before using in calculations.
- Miscalculating the value by not paying attention to significant figures.
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