Questions: Which of the following electromagnetic waves has the lowest energy? microwaves gamma visible light infrared

Which of the following electromagnetic waves has the lowest energy?
microwaves
gamma
visible light
infrared
Transcript text: Which of the following electromagnetic waves has the lowest energy? microwaves gamma visible light infrared
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Solution

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Solution Steps

Step 1: Understanding Electromagnetic Wave Energy

The energy of electromagnetic waves is directly proportional to their frequency. This relationship is given by the equation:

\[ E = h \cdot f \]

where \( E \) is the energy, \( h \) is Planck's constant, and \( f \) is the frequency. Therefore, waves with higher frequencies have higher energy.

Step 2: Comparing Frequencies of Given Waves

The electromagnetic spectrum, in order of increasing frequency (and thus increasing energy), is generally arranged as follows:

  1. Radio waves
  2. Microwaves
  3. Infrared
  4. Visible light
  5. Ultraviolet
  6. X-rays
  7. Gamma rays

From this list, we can see that microwaves have a lower frequency than infrared, visible light, and gamma rays.

Step 3: Identifying the Wave with the Lowest Energy

Since energy is directly proportional to frequency, the wave with the lowest frequency will have the lowest energy. Among the options provided:

  • Microwaves
  • Gamma rays
  • Visible light
  • Infrared

Microwaves have the lowest frequency and therefore the lowest energy.

Final Answer

\(\boxed{\text{microwaves}}\)

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