What color of light has the highest energy?

• A. Red
• B. Green
• C. Blue
• D. Violet

Answer: (D)

Violet light has the highest energy among the visible colors of light due to its shorter wavelength. The energy of a photon is inversely related to its wavelength; this means that shorter wavelengths correspond to higher energy photons. The visible light spectrum ranges from red, which has the longest wavelength and lowest energy, to violet, which has the shortest wavelength and highest energy.

In the visible spectrum, violet light lies at the end, with wavelengths measuring approximately 380 to 450 nanometers. This is why violet light is considered to have more energy compared to other colors in the spectrum, such as red, green, or blue. Each of these colors has longer wavelengths than violet, resulting in correspondingly lower energy. Thus, violet stands out as the color with the highest energy among the choices provided.