Question

Which photons have the greatest energy?

Answer 1

The greatest energy is associated with the highest frequency, which would mean gamma radiation.

Explanation:

The Planck relation states that the energy of a photon is directly proportional to the frequency of the radiation.

If we look at the electromagnetic spectrum,

you see that gamma radiation, with frequencies in the range of `10^20 Hz` is highest. This energy is easily sufficient to damage large amounts of tissue (as is true of both X-rays and to a lesser extent, some UV radiation). All three of these photons are able to break apart chemical bonds, as the energy they possess is generally greater than the bond energy in molecules found in tissue.