Chemistry Regents Practice Test 2025 – The All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The relationship between wavelength and frequency in electromagnetic radiation is characterized by an inverse relationship. This means that as the wavelength increases, the frequency decreases, and vice versa. The fundamental equation that describes this relationship is given by the equation \( c = \lambda \cdot f \), where \( c \) is the speed of light (a constant), \( \lambda \) represents the wavelength, and \( f \) denotes the frequency.

When considering this equation, if the speed of light remains constant, an increase in wavelength (\( \lambda \)) will result in a decrease in frequency (\( f \)), as the two must balance to maintain the relationship defined by the equation. Thus, when one variable goes up, the other must go down to keep the product constant. This inverse relationship is essential in understanding the different types of electromagnetic radiation, such as how radio waves have long wavelengths and low frequencies, while gamma rays have very short wavelengths and high frequencies.