Post Tenebras Lux

Wavelength to electronvolts October 17, 2010

I have forgotten how many times I have forgotten the automatic reflex that used to be quick conversion between various units of energy, wavelength and wavenumber.  The latest bout of amnesia has prompted E=hν

c=λν

E=hc/λ

and

λ=hc/E                or                λ=1240/E if E is in eV

There is also a nifty wee website that converts all of the spectroscopic terms that you could ever hope to shake a stick (or rigid rotor) at.

Here.

I will forget again, I know that for a fact, but the above link means that having measured the diffuse reflectance spectrum of his latest semiconductor, my student can then convert his optical band gap data into eV or kcal mol^-1. And now that he has done that, I might ask him to express it all in Hartrees or ergs…