Calculate the frequency of electromagnetic radiation based on wavelength or energy. This calculator is useful for physics students, scientists, and engineers working with electromagnetic waves.
Learn how to use the Radiation Frequency Calculator and its working principles
This calculator helps you determine the frequency, wavelength, or energy of electromagnetic radiation using the following fundamental relationships:
To use the calculator:
If you enter more than one value, the calculator will prompt you to enter only one value.
The calculator is based on three fundamental relationships in physics:
1. The wave equation (c = λf): This equation shows the relationship between the speed of light (c), wavelength (λ), and frequency (f). All electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light in a vacuum, so if you know any two of these values, you can calculate the third.
2. Planck's equation (E = hf): This equation shows the relationship between the energy of a photon (E), Planck's constant (h), and its frequency (f). It demonstrates that higher frequency radiation has more energy.
3. The relationship between wavelength and energy (E = hc/λ): This combined equation shows that shorter wavelengths correspond to higher energy and higher frequencies.
This calculator is useful in various fields including:
Example 1: Finding frequency from wavelength
If a light wave has a wavelength of 500 nanometers (500 × 10⁻⁹ meters), what is its frequency?
Solution: f = c/λ = (3×10⁸ m/s)/(500×10⁻⁹ m) = 6×10¹⁵ Hz
Example 2: Finding energy from frequency
If a gamma-ray has a frequency of 10²⁰ Hz, what is its energy?
Solution: E = hf = (6.626×10⁻³⁴ J·s)(10²⁰ Hz) = 6.626×10⁻¹³ Joules