Ultraviolet radiation and radiation of shorter wavelengths can damage biological molecules because these kinds of radiation carry enough energy to break bonds within the molecules. A typical carbon–carbon bond requires 348 kJ/mol to break. What is the longest wavelength of radiation with enough energy to break carbon–carbon bonds?
A green leaf has a surface area of 2.50 cm². If solar radiation is 1000 W/m², how many photons strike the leaf every second? Assume three significant figures and an average wavelength of 504 nm for solar radiation.
The human eye contains a molecule called 11-cis-retinal that changes shape when struck with light of sufficient energy. The change in shape triggers a series of events that results in an electrical signal being sent to the brain that results in vision. The minimum energy required to change the conformation of 11-cis-retinal within the eye is about 164 kJ/mol. Calculate the longest wavelength visible to the human eye.
An argon ion laser puts out 5.0 W of continuous power at a wavelength of 532 nm. The diameter of the laser beam is 5.5 mm. If the laser is pointed toward a pinhole with a diameter of 1.2 mm, how many photons travel through the pinhole per second? Assume that the light intensity is equally distributed throughout the entire cross-sectional area of the beam. (1 W = 1 J/s)
An X-ray photon of wavelength 0.989 nm strikes a surface. The emitted electron has a kinetic energy of 969 eV. What is the binding energy of the electron in kJ/mol? [KE = 1/2 mv2; 1 electron volt (eV) = 1.602×10–19 J]
Ionization involves completely removing an electron from an atom. How much energy is required to ionize a hydrogen atom in its ground (or lowest energy) state? What wavelength of light contains enough energy in a single photon to ionize a hydrogen atom?