Chemistry Practice Problems

The Atom and its Electronic Structure: Understanding Light

Questions:

1. Radiation with a frequency of 1.85 MHz, falls in the radio wave region. What is
the wavelength (in nm) of this electromagnetic radiation?

2. What is the frequency of visible light, which has a wavelength of 625 nm?

Answers:

1. Use the equation:

c  =  λν c  =  speed  of  light,  3.00  ×  108  m/s;  λ  =  wavelength;  ν  =  frequency  

Solve  for  wavelength.

λ  =  c/ν

Hz  is  “cycles  per  second”  and  should  be  replaced  by  1/s  as  a  unit  in  the  calculation.  First
we  will  convert  MHz  to  Hz

10 6 Hz
1.85 MHz × = 1.85 × 10 6 Hz; or 1.85 × 10 6 1/s
1 MHz

3.00 × 10 8 m/s
λ= = 162 m
1.85 × 10 6 1/s

The  value  of  162  m  is  the  wavelength  in  meters.  This  is  a  very  long  wavelength,  
however,  the  question  asks  for  the  wavelength  in  nanometers.  

1 nm
162 m × = 1.62 ×1011 nm  
-9
10 m
 Chemistry Practice Problems

2. Use the equation:

c  =  λν c  =  speed  of  light,  3.00  ×  108  m/s;  λ  =  wavelength;  ν  =  frequency  

Solve  for  frequency:

ν  =  c/λ

3.00 × 10 8 m/s
ν= = 4.80 × 1014 1/s  
-9
10 m
625 nm ×
1 nm

Notice  that  nm  must  be  converted  to  m  in  order  for  the  units  to  cancel  properly.