The Planck-Einstein Relation is a fundamental equation in quantum mechanics that connects the energy of a photon to its frequency. It is expressed mathematically as:
where is the energy of the photon, is Planck's constant (), and is the frequency of the electromagnetic wave. This relation highlights that energy is quantized; it can only take on discrete values determined by the frequency of the light. Additionally, this relationship signifies that higher frequency light (like ultraviolet) has more energy than lower frequency light (like infrared). The Planck-Einstein relation is pivotal in fields such as quantum mechanics, photophysics, and astrophysics, as it underpins the behavior of light and matter on a microscopic scale.
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