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55 ideas · 9 connections
Wave frequency and photon energy Waves4.4 Quantum physics4.5 Wave motion4.4.1 Electromagnetic waves4.4.2 Superposition4.4.3 Stationary waves4.4.4
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Wave frequency and photon energy

OCR A AS Physics · Two ideas, one explanation

Frequency describes a wave’s oscillations and determines the energy of each photon. For light in a vacuum, wavelength provides another route to photon energy.

E = hf = hc/λ

Follow the reasoning

  1. Convert wavelength to metres.
  2. Use c = fλ to find frequency in a vacuum.
  3. Multiply frequency by Planck’s constant to find the energy per photon.
Specification outcomes (3)
  • 4.4.1(b)(i) Define displacement, amplitude, wavelength, period, phase difference, frequency and speed of a wave.
  • 4.4.1(d) Use the wave equation v = fλ.
  • 4.5.1(c) Use E = hf and E = hc / λ to calculate energy of a photon.
Open the official OCR AS specification ↗

H156 v2.0 · May 2026

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