A certain kind of light has a wavelength of 850 nm. What is the frequency of this light in Hz? (Speed of light, c = 3.00 × 10^8 m/s)

• A. 3.53 × 10^{14} Hz
• B. 8.50 × 10^{16} Hz
• C. 1.13 × 10^{12} Hz
• D. 2.82 × 10^{15} Hz

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the given values: wavelength \(\lambda = 850\) nm and speed of light \(c = 3.00 \times 10^{8}\) m/s. Note that the wavelength must be converted from nanometers to meters for consistency in units.
2. Convert the wavelength from nanometers to meters using the conversion factor \$1 \text{ nm} = 1 \times 10^{-9} \text{ m}\(. So, \)\lambda = 850 \times 10^{-9}$ m.
3. Recall the relationship between the speed of light, wavelength, and frequency: \(c = \lambda \times f\), where \(f\) is the frequency.
4. Rearrange the formula to solve for frequency: \(f = \frac{c}{\lambda}\).
5. Substitute the known values of \(c\) and \(\lambda\) into the equation and calculate the frequency \(f\) in hertz (Hz).