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Ch.7 - Quantum-Mechanical Model of the Atom
Chapter 7, Problem 91

A laser produces 20.0 mW of red light. In 1.00 hr, the laser emits 2.29×1020 photons. What is the wavelength of the laser?

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Identify the given values: Power (P) = 20.0 mW, Time (t) = 1.00 hr, Number of photons (N) = 2.29 \times 10^{20}.
Convert the power from milliwatts to watts: 1 mW = 0.001 W, so 20.0 mW = 0.020 W.
Convert the time from hours to seconds: 1 hr = 3600 s, so 1.00 hr = 3600 s.
Calculate the total energy emitted by the laser using the formula: Energy (E) = Power (P) \times Time (t).
Use the energy of a single photon formula: E_{photon} = \frac{E}{N}, and relate it to wavelength using E_{photon} = \frac{hc}{\lambda}, where h is Planck's constant and c is the speed of light, to solve for the wavelength \lambda.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Photon Energy

The energy of a photon is given by the equation E = hν, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10^-34 J·s), and ν (nu) is the frequency of the light. The frequency can be related to the wavelength (λ) using the equation c = λν, where c is the speed of light (approximately 3.00 x 10^8 m/s). Understanding photon energy is essential for calculating the wavelength from the number of emitted photons.
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Power and Energy Relationship

Power is defined as the rate at which energy is emitted or transferred. In this context, the laser's power output (20.0 mW) indicates how much energy is emitted per unit time. To find the total energy emitted over a specific time period, you can multiply the power by the time (in seconds). This relationship is crucial for determining the total energy associated with the emitted photons.
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Wavelength Calculation

Wavelength can be calculated using the relationship between energy and frequency. Once the total energy emitted by the laser is determined, the energy per photon can be found by dividing the total energy by the number of photons emitted. This energy can then be used to find the wavelength using the equation λ = hc/E, where E is the energy per photon. This process is key to solving the question regarding the wavelength of the laser light.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

The distance from Earth to the sun is 1.5×108 km. Find the number of crests in a light wave of frequency 1.0×1014 s –1 traveling from the sun to Earth.

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Open Question
The iodine molecule can be photodissociated (broken apart with light) into iodine atoms in the gas phase with light of wavelengths shorter than about 792 nm. A 100.0-mL glass tube contains 55.7 mtorr of gaseous iodine at 25.0 °C. What is the minimum amount of light energy that must be absorbed by the iodine in the tube to dissociate 15.0% of the molecules?
Textbook Question

A 5.00-mL ampule of a 0.100-M solution of naphthalene in hexane is excited with a flash of light. The naphthalene emits 15.5 J of energy at an average wavelength of 349 nm. What percentage of the naphthalene molecules emitted a photon?

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Textbook Question

A particular laser consumes 150.0 watts of electrical power and produces a stream of 1.33×1019 1064-nm photons per second. What is the percent efficiency of the laser in converting electrical power to light?

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Open Question
Assuming total absorption of the light by the sample, what is the maximum amount (in moles) of CH3X that breaks apart when a cuvette containing a solution of CH3X is irradiated with 280-nm light with a power of 885 mW for 10.0 minutes, given that the quantum yield for the reaction CH3X → CH3 + X is f = 0.24?
Open Question
A student is studying the photodissociation (dissociation with light) of I2 into 2I. When a sample of I2 is irradiated with a power of 255 mW at 590 nm for 35 seconds, 0.0256 mmol of I forms. Assuming complete absorption of the incident radiation, what is the quantum yield, f, of the reaction? (See Problem 93 for definition of quantum yield.)
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