Question

Which of the following has the shortest wavelength?
A. Red light
B. Blue light
C. Gamma rays
D. X rays
E. Radio waves

Answer 1

In order to answer this question, we must be aware of the order of the wavelength of these given rays. The Energy of the x-ray is greatest among the following and the energy of visible light is comparatively lower. Energy is inversely proportional to wavelength of rays.

Complete answer:
If we know the order of the energies or the wavelength of these rays then it is easy to answer this question. The wavelength of the following rays are as follows:
Red light: The wavelength of red light is the highest among all the wavelengths of the visible light. The wavelength for red light is $620nm - 750nm$ .

Blue light: The wavelength of blue light is relatively shorter as compared to red light. The wavelength for blue light is $450nm - 495nm$ .

Gamma rays: The gamma rays have the shortest wavelength because it has a higher frequency, meaning a greater number of waves in a second than any other radiations. The wavelength of gamma rays is around $1 \times {10^{ - 12}}m$

X-rays: X-rays are high-frequency rays, their frequency is very high. This implies that they have high penetration power and electromagnetic radiation. Their wavelength is in the range of $0.01nm - 10nm$ .

Radio waves: These waves are most commonly used for communication purposes. Their wavelength is in the range of $1mm - 100km$ . They have a very large range.

From the above discussion, it is clear that gamma rays have the shortest wavelength in the order of ${10^{ - 12}}m$ .

Thus, option C is the correct option.

Note: The decreasing order of energies of these rays will be exactly opposite. Also, the question asks for the shortest wavelength. The longest wavelength is found for radio waves. Wavelength of visible light lies between gamma rays and radio waves.