How much energy is carried by one quantum of these electromagnetic waves?

So, 2.071875*10^-22 J = 2.071875*10^-22 / (1.6 \times 10^{-19}) = 1.294921875 * 10^{-3} eV. In summary, for problem 6, the energy carried by one quantum of electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 3.125*10^11 Hz is 1.294921875 * 10^{-3} eV.
  • #1
mustang
169
0
Problem 6.
Radiation emitted from human skin reaches its peak at wavelength=960um.
How much energy is carried by one quantum of these electromagnetic waves? Answer in eV.
I have found that the frequency is 3.125*10^11 Hz.
Note: What do I do?

Problem 8. Light of wavelength 350 nm falls on a potassium surface, and the photoelectrons have a maximum kinetic energy of 1.3 eV.
What is the work function of potassium? Answer in eV.

Problem 17.
Light of wavelength 3*10^-7 m shines on the metal lithium, iron , and mercury which have work functions of 2.3 eV, 3.9 eV, and 4.5eV, respectively.
For those metals that do exhibit the photoelectric effect, what is the maximum energy of the photoelectrons?
where do I start? :happy:
 
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  • #2
mustang said:
Problem 6.
Radiation emitted from human skin reaches its peak at wavelength=960um.
How much energy is carried by one quantum of these electromagnetic waves? Answer in eV.
I have found that the frequency is 3.125*10^11 Hz.
Note: What do I do?
Use Plack's Constant.


Problem 8. Light of wavelength 350 nm falls on a potassium surface, and the photoelectrons have a maximum kinetic energy of 1.3 eV.
What is the work function of potassium? Answer in eV.

Calculate the frequency, use Planck's constant to find the energy. Subtract 1.3eV from the energy you calculated, that is the work function.
Work function is the energy required to pull an electron from an atom and have 0 kinetic energy. For these equations, it goes like this:
light energy = work function + photoelectric kinetic energy.


Problem 17.
Light of wavelength 3*10^-7 m shines on the metal lithium, iron , and mercury which have work functions of 2.3 eV, 3.9 eV, and 4.5eV, respectively.
For those metals that do exhibit the photoelectric effect, what is the maximum energy of the photoelectrons?
where do I start? :happy:

Calculate the frequency, calculate the energy with Planck's constant. Take that energy and subtract 2.3 eV for lithium. Subtract 3.9 eV for iron. Subtract 4.5 eV for mercury. Do each of those subtractions separately. If the resulting number is negative, photoelectrons do not come from that metal. Due to the wording of the question ("For those metals that do exhibit the photoelectric effect"), I would suspect mercury does not let go of electrons. That's just suspicion though.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
In regards for problem 6.

So for problem 6.
I would use the Plack's formula: E=hf
Where the f=3.125*10^11Hz and the h=6.63*10^-34 and solve for E?
 
  • #4
mustang said:
So for problem 6.
I would use the Plack's formula: E=hf
Where the f=3.125*10^11Hz and the h=6.63*10^-34 and solve for E?

Yes. And then convert the answer, in J, to eV.
 
  • #5
Problem 6.

For problems 6 I multiplied f with h and got 2.071875*10^-22 .If this is right what is the number (1.6*10^-6, I think) to convert this answer into eV.
 
  • #6
mustang said:
For problems 6 I multiplied f with h and got 2.071875*10^-22 .If this is right what is the number (1.6*10^-6, I think) to convert this answer into eV.

1 J = 1.6e-19 eV
 
  • #7
Correction:
[tex]1 eV = 1.6 \times 10^{-19}J[/tex]
 

1. What is a quantum of electromagnetic waves?

A quantum of electromagnetic waves, also known as a photon, is the smallest unit of electromagnetic radiation. It carries a specific amount of energy and behaves both as a particle and a wave.

2. How much energy does one quantum of electromagnetic waves carry?

The amount of energy carried by one quantum of electromagnetic waves depends on its frequency. The higher the frequency, the higher the energy. The energy of a photon can be calculated using the formula E = hf, where h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10^-34 joule seconds) and f is the frequency in hertz.

3. Are all photons carrying the same amount of energy?

No, photons can have varying amounts of energy depending on their frequency. For example, radio waves have a lower frequency and therefore carry less energy than gamma rays, which have a higher frequency.

4. How can we measure the energy of a quantum of electromagnetic waves?

The energy of a quantum of electromagnetic waves can be measured using specialized instruments such as a spectrometer or a photometer. These instruments can detect and measure the frequency of the electromagnetic waves and calculate the energy based on the formula E = hf.

5. What is the relationship between energy and wavelength of electromagnetic waves?

The energy of a quantum of electromagnetic waves is inversely proportional to its wavelength. This means that as the wavelength increases, the energy decreases and vice versa. This relationship is known as the wave-particle duality of light, where electromagnetic waves can behave both as a wave and a particle at the same time.

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