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Planck's Equation:
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Planck's equation (E = h × f) describes the energy of a photon, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant (6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ J s), and f is frequency. This fundamental equation is crucial in quantum mechanics and astronomy for calculating photon energies.
The calculator uses Planck's equation:
Where:
Explanation: The equation calculates the energy of electromagnetic radiation based on its frequency, with higher frequencies corresponding to higher energy photons.
Details: Energy calculations are essential in astronomy for understanding stellar emissions, analyzing spectral lines, studying cosmic radiation, and interpreting data from various celestial phenomena across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Tips: Enter frequency in Hertz (Hz). The value must be valid (frequency > 0). The calculator will compute the corresponding energy in Joules using Planck's constant.
Q1: What is Planck's constant?
A: Planck's constant (6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ J s) is a fundamental physical constant that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency.
Q2: How is this equation used in astronomy?
A: Astronomers use this equation to calculate energies of photons from stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects, helping to determine temperatures, compositions, and physical processes.
Q3: Can I calculate energy for different frequency units?
A: The calculator requires frequency in Hertz. Convert from other units (kHz, MHz, GHz) to Hz before calculation.
Q4: What's the relationship between frequency and wavelength?
A: Frequency and wavelength are inversely related through the speed of light: c = λ × f, where c is speed of light (3 × 10⁸ m/s).
Q5: Why are the energy values so small?
A: Individual photons carry very small amounts of energy due to the extremely small value of Planck's constant, which is why we typically measure large numbers of photons in astronomical observations.