Gamma Rays

Question

Among the following electromagnetic radiations, which one originates from transitions within atomic nuclei and carries the highest photon energy?

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

NCERT Class 12, Chapter 8 (Electromagnetic Waves) places gamma rays at the extreme high-frequency, short-wavelength end of the spectrum, with wavelengths below about 10⁻¹² m. Because photon energy is proportional to frequency (E = hf), gamma rays carry the greatest energy per photon of all electromagnetic radiations. They are produced in nuclear reactions and radioactive decay, when an excited nucleus drops to a lower energy state and releases the excess as a high-energy photon. Microwaves have low frequencies and are generated by electronic oscillators, not nuclei, so their photon energy is far smaller. Visible light arises from electronic transitions in atoms and molecules and carries only a few electronvolts per photon. Infrared radiation, associated with molecular vibrations and thermal emission, has even lower photon energy. A plausibility check comparing photon energies confirms that gamma rays, tied to nuclear transitions, dominate all the listed options in energy, making them the correct choice.

Gamma Rays

Select the correct option:

🔒 Solution Hidden from View

More electromagnetic waves Practice Questions

Gamma rays primarily originate from:

A plane electromagnetic wave in vacuum has a peak electric field of 30 V/m, and an analyst computes ...

In a plane electromagnetic wave, how do the frequencies of the oscillating electric field and the os...

A television transmitter broadcasts at a frequency of 6.0 × 10⁸ Hz, and a technician must determine ...

Which property of microwaves makes them especially suitable for use in radar systems and in speed de...

Which electromagnetic radiation from sunlight is largely absorbed by the ozone layer, protecting liv...

The electric flux through a certain surface changes at a steady rate of 2.0 × 10⁴ V·m per second, an...

Why can electromagnetic waves travel through the vacuum of outer space while sound waves from the Su...

A doctor uses a particular electromagnetic radiation to visualise bone fractures because it penetrat...

A laser delivers an average intensity of 6.0 W/m² onto a screen, and a researcher needs the average ...

Weather satellites detect a form of electromagnetic radiation strongly emitted by warm bodies, often...

A perfectly absorbing solar sail receives light of energy \cup from the Sun over a given interval, ...

About This Question

Solution