## Wavelengths

H-Atom ($E_{n}=-\frac{hR}{n^{2}}$)

Lauren Huang 1H
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:16 am

### Wavelengths

Can wavelengths have negative values?

Ahmet_Dikyurt_3L
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:23 am

### Re: Wavelengths

Wavelengths are lengths, so if there is a direction given, they could have a negative value but distance-wise no. It is the same for every length.
Example: You can say -10 meters east (10 meters west)
Example: You cannot say I walked -10 meters.
Same goes for wavelengths.

Chloe Thorpe 1J
Posts: 77
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:16 am

### Re: Wavelengths

Wavelengths, by convention, can’t be negative as far as I understand. For instance, wavelength is equal to the speed of light over frequency, both of which are always positive values; so, wavelength couldn’t be negative. It’s also usually measured in a unit like meters, which can’t have negative value.

Phil Timoteo 1K
Posts: 101
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:05 am

### Re: Wavelengths

Wavelengths are always a positive number

Sydney Aurelio_Dis4B
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:28 am

### Re: Wavelengths

A wavelength can be negative when you are referring to direction of the wave. However, in the types of problems we are doing now we are mainly concerned with photons and photons can not have a negative wavelength.

Hanlin Zhu 4G
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:28 am

### Re: Wavelengths

I think wavelength should be a positive value. It is a measure of length rather than displacement.