A Laser used to read CDs emits red light of wave length 700 nanometers. How many photons does it emmitt each second if it's power is 0.10w?

1 Answer
Sep 8, 2016

#sf(3.5xx10^(17))# photons per second.

Explanation:

Use the Planck expression to get the energy of 1 photon:

#sf(E=hf)#

#sf(f)# is the frequency

#sf(h)# is the Planck Constant = #sf(6.63xx10^(-34)color(white)(x)J.s)#

Since we are given the wavelength #sf(lambda)# this becomes:

#sf(E=(hc)/(lambda))#

Where #sf(c)# is the speed of light which I will take to be #sf(3.0xx10^(8)color(white)(x)"m/s")#.

#:.##sf(E=(6.63xx10^(-34)xx3.0xx10^(8))/(700xx10^(-9))=2.841xx10^(-19)color(white)(x)J)#

1 Watt is 1 Joule of work done per second.

#sf(0.1color(white)(x)J)# of work is being done in 1 second.

So

#sf(2.841xx10^(-19)color(white)(x)J)# is produced from 1 photon.

#:.##sf(1color(white)(x)J)# is produced from #sf(1/(2.841xx10^(-19)))# photons.

#:.##sf(0.1color(white)(x)J)# is produced from #sf(1/(2.841xx10^(-19))xx0.1=3.5xx10^(17))# photons in 1 second.