The relationship between the wavelength and frequency of radiant energy is governed by the speed of light in a vacuum. According to the electromagnetic wave equation:
c = λν
where: c is the speed of light in a vacuum (approximately 3 × 10^8 meters per second), λ (lambda) is the wavelength of the radiant energy, and ν (nu) is the frequency of the radiant energy.
This equation shows that the product of the wavelength and frequency of any electromagnetic wave, including radiant energy, is equal to the speed of light.
From this equation, we can see that as the wavelength decreases, the frequency increases, and vice versa. In other words, there is an inverse relationship between wavelength and frequency. When the wavelength of radiant energy decreases, its frequency increases, and when the wavelength increases, the frequency decreases.
This relationship holds true for all types of electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays.