The solar radiation spectrum peaks at a wavelength of approximately 500 nm. Calculate the energy of one photon of that radiation (c = 3.00 × 10⁸m/s; h = 6.63 × 10^-34 J • s). A) 4 × 10^-10 J B) 6 × 10¹⁴ J C) 1 × 10^-27 J D) 2 × 10^-25 J E) 4 × 10^-19 J

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy of a photon can be calculated using the equation $E = \frac{hc}{\lambda}$, where $h$ is Planck's constant (6.63 × 10^-34 J•s), $c$ is the speed of light (3.00 × 10^8 m/s), and $\lambda$ is the wavelength of the light (500 nm = 500 × 10^-9 m). Plugging in the values, $E = \frac{(6.63 × 10^{-34}) (3.00 × 10^8)}{500 × 10^{-9}} = 3.978 × 10^{-19} J$, which rounds to approximately 4 × 10^-19 J.

The Solar Radiation Spectrum Peaks at a Wavelength of Approximately