As the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation becomes shorter, what happens to its energy?

• A. The energy increases.
• B. The energy first increases, then decreases.
• C. The energy decreases.
• D. The energy remains the same.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the relationship between the energy of electromagnetic radiation and its wavelength. The energy (E) of a photon is related to its frequency (\nu) by the equation: \(E = h \nu\), where \(h\) is Planck's constant.
2. Understand that the frequency (\nu) and wavelength (\lambda) of electromagnetic radiation are inversely related through the speed of light (\(c\)): \(\nu = \frac{c}{\lambda}\).
3. Combine the two equations to express energy in terms of wavelength: \(E = h \frac{c}{\lambda}\).
4. Analyze the equation \(E = h \frac{c}{\lambda}\) to see how energy changes with wavelength. Since \(h\) and \(c\) are constants, energy is inversely proportional to wavelength.
5. Conclude that as the wavelength (\(\lambda\)) becomes shorter, the energy (\(E\)) of the electromagnetic radiation increases.