22.1.3—E = hf
- Syllabus
- 9702–2028–2029
- Objective
- 22.1.3
- Level
- A2
The energy of one photon is E=hf=hc/λ, where h is Planck’s constant, f frequency and λ wavelength.
Use frequency in hertz or wavelength in metres and check that higher frequency means higher photon energy.
Halving wavelength doubles photon energy in vacuum.
E=hf is energy per photon, not total beam energy; total energy also depends on how many photons arrive.