The relationship between energy and frequency is directly proportional. This means that as the frequency of a wave increases, the energy carried by that wave also increases.
This relationship can be understood through the equation derived from quantum mechanics:
E = hν
In this equation, E represents energy, h is Planck’s constant (approximately 6.626 x 10-34 Js), and ν (nu) represents frequency. According to this formula, if you increase the frequency (ν) of a wave, the energy (E) will also increase proportionally, since Planck’s constant is a constant value.
Conversely, if the frequency decreases, the energy will decrease as well. This is particularly relevant in physics when discussing electromagnetic waves, such as light, where higher frequency light (like ultraviolet) carries more energy than lower frequency light (like infrared).
In summary, energy and frequency are directly proportional, indicating that a rise in frequency results in a corresponding rise in energy.