The relationship between the frequency and wavelength of light can be described by the equation:
c = λν
Where: c is the speed of light (approximately 3 × 10^8 meters per second), λ (lambda) is the wavelength of light, and ν (nu) is the frequency of light.
This equation states that the speed of light is equal to the product of the wavelength and the frequency of light.
In terms of energy, light consists of individual packets of energy called photons. The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency (ν) and inversely proportional to its wavelength (λ). The relationship is given by the equation:
E = hν
Where: E is the energy of a photon, h is Planck's constant (approximately 6.626 × 10^-34 joule-seconds), and ν is the frequency of light.
From this equation, it is evident that increasing the frequency of light results in more energy per photon. This can be understood by considering that higher frequency photons have shorter wavelengths and, therefore, carry more energy. Conversely, decreasing the frequency (and increasing the wavelength) corresponds to photons with less energy.
In summary, increasing the frequency of light corresponds to higher energy per second because the energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency.