How much energy does a radio wave have?
On One Hand: Very Little EnergyThe energy of a radio wave ranges from about 0.4 nano-electron volts to 0.1 milli-electron volts per photon associated with the wave. This can be determined from the Planck relation, by multiplying Planck’s constant by the frequency of the radio waves, which range from 100 kHz to 30 GHz.On the Other: Compared to Other WavesEach photon of ultraviolet radiation can range from a few electron volts up to about 100 electron volts in energy. More energetic radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, range from 100 to 100,000 or more electron volts per photon.Bottom LineUsing Planck’s equation, we can see that radio waves can range from 0.4 nano-electron volts to 0.1 milli-electron volts of energy per photon.
