Photon Energy Calculator (E = hf = hc/λ)
Light — and all electromagnetic radiation — carries energy in discrete photons, and the energy of one photon is completely fixed by the Planck–Einstein relation E = hf = hc/λ. The tool accepts a wavelength or a frequency, returns the energy in both joules and electron-volts (eV), and labels the band on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Enter a positive numeric value (wavelength or frequency) — zero and negative values are not allowed.
Photon energy E
2.254 eV
Energy E (joules): 3.612 × 10⁻¹⁹ J
Wavelength λ
550 nm
Frequency f
545 THz
Electromagnetic spectrum band
Visible · green
Uses the 2019 SI defining constants: h = 6.62607015 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s, c = 299 792 458 m/s, 1 eV = 1.602176634 × 10⁻¹⁹ J.
Formula
E = h · f = h · c / λ (h = 6.626 070 15 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s; c = 299 792 458 m/s; 1 eV = 1.602 176 634 × 10⁻¹⁹ J)
- · Uses the post-2019 SI definitions of the Planck constant h, the speed of light c and the elementary charge e — all three are now exact, no-uncertainty SI defining constants.
- · Visible light spans roughly 380–750 nm, corresponding to photon energies of about 1.65 eV (red) to 3.26 eV (violet).
- · Typical covalent-bond strengths are 3–6 eV (UV / near-UV), which is why ordinary visible light cannot break stable bonds — and why UV, not visible light, drives most photochemical skin damage.
- · Photoelectric-effect problems: a metal of work function φ emits photoelectrons only when hf > φ; the maximum kinetic energy is KE_max = hf − φ (Einstein, 1905).
- · References: BIPM, "Revisions of the SI", 2019; NIST CODATA 2018; Griffiths, "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics", 3rd ed. §1.3; Hecht, "Optics", 5th ed. §3.6.
Frequently asked
Why is photon energy almost always quoted in electron-volts (eV) rather than joules?
Because in joules the numbers are tiny and the joule-to-photon ratios are astronomical — a single green-light photon at 550 nm is about 3.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ J, so 1 J corresponds to roughly 2.8 × 10¹⁸ photons, which is awkward to manipulate. The electron-volt is defined so that one elementary charge gains exactly 1 eV after crossing a 1 V potential difference, giving 1 eV = 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ J — perfectly matched to the typical energy of a single particle. That is why visible light ≈ 2 eV, chemical bonds ≈ 3–6 eV, X-rays keV and gamma rays MeV — all friendly numbers. eV is also the lingua franca of particle physics, semiconductor band-gaps and atomic spectroscopy, so textbooks, papers and lab reports default to it.
Why did the Planck constant h become "exact" after 2019?
Because on 20 May 2019 the SI underwent its biggest overhaul since 1960. The BIPM redefined the kilogram: instead of being the mass of a specific platinum-iridium cylinder in Paris, it is now defined by fixing the Planck constant at exactly h ≡ 6.62607015 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s. From that day h stopped being an experimentally-measured constant with uncertainty and became, like c, a defining SI constant. The same revision fixed c, e, k_B, N_A, Δν_Cs and K_cd to exact values. Modern Kibble-balance experiments now use this exact h to *realise* mass, not to measure h. The tool therefore uses h, c and e as exact, no-uncertainty defining constants — the only uncertainty is in your input value.
Why are very short wavelengths (X-rays, gamma rays) so much more biologically dangerous?
Because E ∝ 1/λ — the shorter the wavelength, the more energy per photon. Visible light at 1–3 eV per photon cannot even break ordinary covalent bonds at 3–6 eV; UV photons just clear that threshold and can directly create DNA pyrimidine dimers — that is sunburn (UVA 320–400 nm ≈ 3.1–3.9 eV, UVB 280–320 nm ≈ 3.9–4.4 eV). X-rays (< 10 nm, > 124 eV) and gamma rays (< 0.01 nm, > 124 keV) carry enough energy in a single photon to ionise several atoms in one hit, cause double-strand DNA breaks and trigger free-radical cascades that routine cellular repair cannot fully undo. Dose is measured in grays (Gy, joules per kilogram), but for the same Gy, X / γ radiation produces a far larger equivalent dose (sieverts) than α / β particles or visible light — which is exactly why radiation-safety guidance emphasises distance, shielding and time.
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