Which color of visible light has photons that transfer the most energy?

• A. Red
• B. Green
• C. Yellow
• D. Violet

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the energy of a photon is related to its frequency by the equation \(E = h \nu\), where \(E\) is the energy, \(h\) is Planck's constant, and \(\nu\) is the frequency of the light.
2. Understand that visible light colors correspond to different wavelengths, and frequency \(\nu\) is related to wavelength \(\lambda\) by the equation \(\nu = \frac{c}{\lambda}\), where \(c\) is the speed of light.
3. Recognize that shorter wavelengths correspond to higher frequencies, and therefore higher photon energies.
4. Compare the wavelengths of the given colors: red has the longest wavelength, followed by yellow, green, and violet having the shortest wavelength in the visible spectrum.
5. Conclude that since violet light has the shortest wavelength, it has the highest frequency and thus its photons transfer the most energy.