What is the relationship between the speed of light, wavelength, and frequency of electromagnetic radiation?

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Answer 1 · 2015-05-23T17:27:37

#c=lambda*nu#, where #c# is the speed of light, #lambda# is the wavelength, and #nu# is the frequency.

The speed of light in a vacuum, #c#, is #3.00xx10^(8)"m/s"# rounded to 3 significant figures.

Practice Problem

What is the frequency of the wavelength of light of #650"nm"#?

(#"1 nm"# = #1xx10^(-9)# #"m"#)

Convert wavelength to meters.

#650.0color(red)cancel(color(black)("nm"))xx(1xx10^(-9)"m")/(1color(red)cancel(color(black)("nm")))=6.50xx10^(-7)"m"#

Rearrange the equation to isolate #nu#.

#nu=c/lambda#

#(3.00xx10^8color(red)cancel(color(black)("m"))/"s")/(6.50xx10^(-7)color(red)cancel(color(black)("m")))# =

#(4.62xx10^14)/s=4.62xx10^14# #"Hz"#

Hertz (Hz) is the unit for frequency. It is #1/"s"# .