Planck relation

The equation E = hν relates a quantum’s energy E to its frequency ν through Planck’s constant h. It makes energy proportional to frequency.

Planck constant: A fundamental physical constant, denoted h, that sets the scale of quantum effects. It is the proportionality constant that converts frequency into energy.
Black-body radiation: Electromagnetic radiation emitted by an ideal body in thermal equilibrium, with a spectrum determined by temperature. Its spectrum was the problem that led Planck to introduce quantized energy.
Photoelectric effect: The emission of electrons from a material after it absorbs electromagnetic radiation. Einstein used photon energies hν to explain why emission depends on light frequency.
de Broglie relation: The relation λ = h/p connecting a particle’s momentum to its wavelength. It links momentum to wavelength, whereas the Planck relation links frequency to energy.
Frequency: The number of cycles of a periodic process completed per unit time. The relation makes a quantum’s energy increase linearly with its frequency.
Max Planck: German theoretical physicist whose work on thermal radiation initiated quantum theory. He introduced the constant and energy-frequency relation in deriving the black-body spectrum.
Photon energy: The energy carried by a single photon, determined by its frequency or wavelength. It is the direct physical quantity computed by the Planck relation.
Einstein energy-momentum relation: The relativistic equation relating a particle’s total energy, momentum, and rest mass. It determines energy from mass and momentum rather than assigning energy by frequency.
Photon: The quantum of the electromagnetic field, carrying energy and momentum. For a photon, the relation gives the energy associated with its frequency.
Planck's law: The formula describing the spectral distribution of black-body radiation at a given temperature. It incorporates the quantized oscillator energies that motivate the relation.

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