Questions: Rank the following colors of light from lowest energy to highest energy: blue (λ=453 nm), red (λ=670 nm), green (λ=525 nm), yellow (λ=572 nm).
Select one:
a. red, yellow, green, blue
b. blue, yellow, green, red
c. red, green, yellow, blue
d. blue, green, yellow, red
Transcript text: Rank the following colors of light from lowest energy to highest energy: blue $(\lambda=453 \mathrm{~nm})$, red ( $\lambda=$ $670 \mathrm{~nm})$, green $(\lambda=525 \mathrm{~nm})$, yellow $(\lambda=572 \mathrm{~nm})$.
Select one:
a. red, yellow, green, blue
b. blue, yellow, green, red
c. red, green, yellow, blue
d. blue, green, yellow, red
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Understand the Relationship Between Wavelength and Energy
The energy of a photon is inversely proportional to its wavelength. This relationship is given by the equation:
\[ E = \frac{hc}{\lambda} \]
where \( E \) is the energy, \( h \) is Planck's constant, \( c \) is the speed of light, and \( \lambda \) is the wavelength. Therefore, shorter wavelengths correspond to higher energy.
Step 2: List the Wavelengths of the Given Colors
Blue: \( \lambda = 453 \, \text{nm} \)
Red: \( \lambda = 670 \, \text{nm} \)
Green: \( \lambda = 525 \, \text{nm} \)
Yellow: \( \lambda = 572 \, \text{nm} \)
Step 3: Rank the Colors by Wavelength
To rank the colors from lowest energy to highest energy, we need to order them from longest wavelength to shortest wavelength:
Red (\(670 \, \text{nm}\))
Yellow (\(572 \, \text{nm}\))
Green (\(525 \, \text{nm}\))
Blue (\(453 \, \text{nm}\))
Final Answer
The correct order from lowest energy to highest energy is:
\[
\boxed{\text{a. red, yellow, green, blue}}
\]