Which statement about gamma rays is true?

Which statement about gamma rays is true?

• A. They have the highest frequency and energy
• B. They have the lowest frequency
• C. They travel slower than light
• D. They are visible to the eye

Answer: (A)

Gamma rays sit at the highest-frequency end of the electromagnetic spectrum, so their photons have the most energy (because photon energy E = h f, with f being frequency). They travel at the speed of light in vacuum, just like all other electromagnetic waves, so they aren’t slower than light. They aren’t visible to the human eye, since their wavelengths are far shorter than visible light. So the true statement is that gamma rays have the highest frequency and energy.

Gamma rays sit at the highest-frequency end of the electromagnetic spectrum, so their photons have the most energy (because photon energy E = h f, with f being frequency). They travel at the speed of light in vacuum, just like all other electromagnetic waves, so they aren’t slower than light. They aren’t visible to the human eye, since their wavelengths are far shorter than visible light. So the true statement is that gamma rays have the highest frequency and energy.