How many 420nm photons are emitted per second by an LED with a power of 10 mW?

  • Thread starter Thread starter XTEND
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Per Photons
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

An LED with a power output of 10 mW emits approximately 2.1E16 photons per second at a wavelength of 420 nm. The energy of a single photon is calculated using the equation E=hc/λ, where h is Planck's constant (6.626068 × 10-34 m2kg/s) and c is the speed of light (3.0 x 108 m/s). The correct calculation involves converting the wavelength from nanometers to meters, resulting in a photon energy of 4.7328E-19 J. The final calculation confirms that the number of emitted photons is accurately determined as 2.1E16.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of photon energy calculations using E=hc/λ
  • Knowledge of unit conversions, specifically from nanometers to meters
  • Familiarity with scientific notation and exponent rules
  • Basic principles of LED operation and light emission
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the photon energy formula E=hc/λ
  • Learn about the properties of LEDs and their spectral output
  • Explore advanced topics in quantum mechanics related to light emission
  • Investigate the impact of wavelength on photon energy and emission rates
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics or engineering, educators teaching optics, and anyone interested in the quantitative analysis of light emission from LEDs.

XTEND
Messages
19
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



An LED emits a light beam with a power of 10 mW. The wavelength of the light is 420 nm. How many 420nm photons are emitted per sec.?

Homework Equations



E=hc/lamda is 2.95E-9

P/E= Photons emitted per sec.

(10*10E-3)(2.95E-9)=2.952E-11


The Attempt at a Solution



2.95E-11 is wrong.

2.1E16 photons per/sec. is the answer
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Your value for E is wrong.

h=6.626068 × 10-34 m2kg/s
 
Last edited:
okay.

(6.626x10E-34)(3.0x10E8)=1.9878E-25 / 420nm = 4.7328E-28

(10x10E-3) / (4.7328E-28) = 2.1129E25

This is still not 2.1E16
 
XTEND said:
okay.

(6.626x10E-34)(3.0x10E8)=1.9878E-25 / 420nm = 4.7328E-28

You forgot to convert nm to m.
 
XTEND said:
okay.

(6.626x10E-34)(3.0x10E8)=1.9878E-25 / 420nm = 4.7328E-28

(10x10E-3) / (4.7328E-28) = 2.1129E25

This is still not 2.1E16


Check over your exponents in the part in red, it is not E-28.
 
1.9878E-25/4.2E-7 = 4.7328E-19

(10x10E-3) / (4.7328E-19) = 2.1E16

Thank You!
 

Similar threads

Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
5K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K