The energy of a single oscillation of electromagnetic (EM) radiation is quantized and depends on the frequency of the radiation. The concept of quantized energy is fundamental to quantum mechanics and is described by Planck's equation, which relates energy to frequency.
According to Planck's equation, the energy (E) of a single oscillation of EM radiation can be calculated using the formula:
E = h * f
where h is the Planck constant (approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 joule-seconds) and f is the frequency of the radiation.
This equation states that the energy of an oscillation is directly proportional to its frequency. Higher-frequency oscillations have greater energy, while lower-frequency oscillations have lower energy.
It's important to note that this formula provides the mean energy of a single oscillation. In reality, the energy of individual photons (particles of EM radiation) can vary, but on average, the equation gives the expected energy for a large number of oscillations.
Quantum mechanics also introduces the concept of the photon as the smallest indivisible unit of EM radiation. Each photon carries energy proportional to its frequency, and the total energy of a collection of photons is determined by the number of photons and their individual energies.
Therefore, the energy of a single oscillation of EM radiation, as described by Planck's equation, provides a way to quantify the energy associated with a particular frequency of radiation.