Understanding the relationship between wavelength and frequency is vital when analyzing light waves. Both are key properties of waves and are inversely related. This means that as the wavelength of a wave increases, its frequency decreases, and vice versa.The fundamental equation that connects these two properties is:\[ c = \lambda \times f \]Here:
- \(c\) is the speed of light in a vacuum, \(3 \times 10^8\,\text{m/s}\).
- \(\lambda\) is the wavelength, the distance between successive crests of a wave.
- \(f\) is the frequency, the number of wave cycles that pass a fixed point per second.
For practical calculations, wavelengths are often converted from nanometers (nm) to meters (m). By knowing the wavelength, you can easily determine the frequency using the speed of light. This conversion process is vital in understanding how different wavelengths, such as visible light at \(400\) nm, translate to specific frequencies which in turn affect energy calculations.