Calculating Frequency and Wavelength

To keep things simpler, and because the metric system is the universal standard in science, we are going to stick to the metric system here.  However, the same principles apply when we use standard units like feet or miles.

Speed of light=c=300,000,000 meters/second

A television wave has a wavelength of about 1 meter.  What is its frequency? (Highlight to read).

(300,000,000 cycles/second).

An FM radio wave has a wavelength of about 3,000,000 meters.  What is its frequency?

(100 cycles/second). This is why FM dials are around this frequency.  FM means Frequency Modulated.

Ultraviolet Light has a wavelength of about 10^-7 meters (0.0000001 meters).  What is its frequency?

3*10^15 cycles/second.  (3,000,000,000,000,000 or 3 quadrillion cycles/second).

A gamma ray has a wavelength of about 10^-12 meters.  What is its frequency?

3*10^20 cycles/second (300,000,000,000,000,000,000 or 300 quintillion cycles per second).

Now we'll give you the frequencies and have you compute the wavelengths:

Infrared Light completes about 10^13 (10,000,000,000,000 or 10 trillion) cycles per second.  What is its wavelength?  3*10^-5 meters or 0.00003 meters

An X-ray completes about 10^18 cycles/second (1,000,000,000,000,000,000 or 1 quintillion).  What is its wavelength?  (3*10^-10 meters or 0.0000000003 meters).

Finally, a microwave completes about 10^9 cycles/second (1,000,000,000 or 1 billion).  What is its wavelength? 0.3 meters.   This is why microwave ovens are about the size they are--and why food needs to be turned to be cooked thoroughly.