Energy and frequency question

In summary, the equations E=hv and E=3/2KbT represent the energy and frequency of a quantum system, while E=kbT applies to classical systems with three degrees of freedom. The de Broglie wavelength is related to the momentum of a particle, while the classical wavelength is related to the velocity and frequency of a wave.
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dinky
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Energy and frequency E=hv

I have a simple question that is that is E=3/2x Kb x T, where kb is Boltzmann constant.
I understand that this is involve 3 degree of freedom, but as i was reading through the forum, i come across 1 equation stating E=kb x T. So is it true? and what application would this apply to?

And with regards to quantum physics, since kinetic energy= 1/2MV2, and =3/2kbT,
yet, λ=h/p=h/mv, where h is Planck constand and p is momentum, and λ is wavelength.

Since λ=V/F, where v is velocity and F is frequency,
then this would mean that V/F=h/mv, and I would get hxF=mV2,
and since E=hxv, where E is energy, h is Planck constant, and v is velocity,
would that mean that E=mV2 which I don't understand as I thought E was suppose to be 1/2mv2, yet now the 1/2 has disappear.

Thanks a lot for the help, a bit confused with all the energy, frequency and wavelength.
 
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  • #2
dinky said:
I have a simple question that is that is E=3/2x Kb x T, where kb is Boltzmann constant.
I understand that this is involve 3 degree of freedom, but as i was reading through the forum, i come across 1 equation stating E=kb x T. So is it true? and what application would this apply to?
The equipartition tells us that
$$
\langle E \rangle = \frac{f}{2} k_\mathrm{B} T
$$
i.e., each quadratic degree of freedom contributes ##k_\mathrm{B} T/2## to the average energy.

For kinetic energy only, since ##E \propto p_x^2 +p_y^2 + p_z^2##, there are ##f=3## quadratic degrees of freedom, from which we get the first equation in the OP.

The second equation is of course obtained for ##f=2##, which would be the case for, e.g., a 2D monatomic ideal gas or a harmonic oscillator (since ##E## is then obtained from the sum of a term in ##p^2## and a term in ##x^2##). The vibration of diatomic molecules is most often modeled as a harmonic oscillator.

dinky said:
And with regards to quantum physics, since kinetic energy= 1/2MV2, and =3/2kbT,
yet, λ=h/p=h/mv, where h is Planck constand and p is momentum, and λ is wavelength.

Since λ=V/F, where v is velocity and F is frequency,
The latter ##\lambda## is the wavelength of a classical wave propagating at a velocity ##v##, and shouldn't be confused with the former ##\lambda##, which is the de Broglie wavelength.
 
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What is energy?

Energy is the ability to do work or cause change. It exists in various forms such as kinetic, potential, thermal, electrical, and chemical energy.

What is frequency?

Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is measured in Hertz (Hz) and is directly proportional to the energy of a wave.

How are energy and frequency related?

Energy and frequency are directly related. According to the Planck-Einstein relation, the energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency. This means that as frequency increases, energy also increases.

What are some examples of energy and frequency in everyday life?

Energy and frequency are present in many aspects of our daily lives. For example, the sound waves that we hear have a certain frequency, and the volume of the sound is related to its energy. In terms of light, different colors have different frequencies and energies. In technology, we use electromagnetic waves with different frequencies and energies for communication purposes.

How does understanding energy and frequency benefit us?

Understanding energy and frequency helps us to better understand and manipulate the world around us. It allows us to harness different forms of energy for various purposes, such as electricity for powering our homes and cars, and radio waves for communication. It also helps us to understand the behavior of waves, which is important in fields like physics and engineering.

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