Home
Back
Planck-Einstein Relation:
| From: | To: |
The Planck-Einstein relation describes the energy of a photon in terms of its frequency. It states that the energy (E) of a photon is equal to Planck's constant (h) multiplied by the frequency (f) of the photon.
The calculator uses the Planck-Einstein relation:
Where:
Explanation: This fundamental equation in quantum mechanics relates the particle nature of light (photons) to its wave nature (frequency).
Details: Calculating photon energy is essential in various fields including quantum physics, spectroscopy, photochemistry, and optical engineering. It helps determine the energy required for electronic transitions and chemical reactions.
Tips: Enter the frequency in Hertz (Hz). The value must be positive and greater than zero. The calculator uses Planck's constant (6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s) for the calculation.
Q1: What is Planck's constant?
A: Planck's constant (h) is a fundamental physical constant that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency. Its value is approximately 6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s.
Q2: Can I calculate energy from wavelength instead?
A: Yes, using the relation E = h × c / λ, where c is the speed of light and λ is the wavelength.
Q3: What are typical photon energy values?
A: Photon energies range from about 10⁻²⁵ J for radio waves to 10⁻¹⁵ J for gamma rays, though most calculations involve very small numbers.
Q4: Why are the energy values so small?
A: Planck's constant is extremely small (6.626 × 10⁻³⁴), so even high-frequency photons have very small energies when measured in joules.
Q5: Can this calculator handle very high frequencies?
A: Yes, but extremely high frequencies may approach computational limits. For practical purposes, most frequencies encountered in physics are within the calculator's range.