Question

what is the period of oscillation of an electron that is bouncing up and down in response to the passage of a packet of red lgiht?

Answer 1

Answer:

2.33*10^-15 s

Explanation:

We need to estimate the period of oscillation of an electron that bounced up/down due to the effects of a passing packet of red light. The period of oscillation is the wavelength of the red light divided by the speed of the red light. We know that:

V = f*λ

where V = speed of the red light = 3*10^8 m/s

f = frequency = 1/T where T is the period of oscillation in seconds (s)

λ = the wavelength of the red light = 0.7*10^-6 m

Thus:

V = λ/T

T = λ/V = (0.7*10^-6)/(3*10^8) = 2.33*10^-15 s