Question

rank the following waves from highest to lowest energy. wave 1 wave 2 wave 3 3,2,1 2,3,1 1,2,3 2,1,3

Explanation:

Step1: Recall energy - frequency relation

The energy of a wave (for electromagnetic waves, or in general wave - particle duality) is related to its frequency by the formula $E = h
u$, where $h$ is Planck's constant and $
u$ is the frequency. Higher frequency means higher energy. Frequency is related to the number of oscillations (cycles) per unit time. In a wave graph, the more cycles (oscillations) in a given length, the higher the frequency.

Step2: Analyze the waves

• Wave 2: It has the most number of oscillations (cycles) in the given grid length, so it has the highest frequency.
• Wave 1: It has fewer oscillations than Wave 2 but more than Wave 3.
• Wave 3: It has the least number of oscillations (cycles) in the given grid length, so it has the lowest frequency.

Since energy is proportional to frequency ($E\propto
u$), the order of energy from highest to lowest is Wave 2, Wave 1, Wave 3.

Answer:

2,1,3