Difficult to understand a wave.

[bibstha]

A wave is characterized by its wavelength or say frequency.

say two identical monochromatic sources (torch1 and 2) are lit.

what happens if the first torch 1 is lit for 5 seconds and the 2 is lit for 10 seconds starting at the same instant. (considering they emit a single wave only).

if the torch 2 produces wave for twice the length of the 1st then are their energies different??

if so then E=hv says that both should have the same energy??
how come??
pls explain!

bs

 

[whozum]

If you are emitting light for 5 seconds, you are emitting a lot more than one photon. The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency. If the light sources emit identical photons, then the energy of each photon will be identical.

 

[bibstha]

well thanks for replying..
then what is the time period for emitting one photon?

 

[Adrian Baker]

This is an impossible question. A photon either exists, or it doesn't. A lamp emits billions of them per second, but it doesn't take a definite 'time' to emit one.

 

[whozum]

The total energy emitted by lamp 2 is twice as much as that emitted by lamp 1, but it is not due to the frequency of the photons, rather due to the luminoscity of the lamp.

 

[bibstha]

it means that the way i am viewing the wave as a long continuous one is totally wrong?? i guess so, is there a good place to better understand quantization?

that would be really helpful

 

[whozum]

Its not an issue of quantization that has you mistaken, rather the difference between a single photon's energy as opposed to the energy put out by a light source.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/optmod/qualig.html#c1
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/photomcon.html#c1