How did Einstein calculate the wavelength of photons?

Question

Einstein's Photoelectric equation states that $$h\nu = h\nu_0 + \frac{1}{2}mv^2$$ which uses frequency. But if he assumed light to be a stream of particles how would he calculate it's frequency? de Broglie's hypothesis was much after Einstein's theory and used it as basis so how did Einstein calculate the wavelength and frequency of photons?

NOTE: This question doesn't actually solve my doubt since I wanted to know how the frequency was derived not what the frequency actually represents.

Does this answer your question? What exactly does the *frequency* of a photon mean? — John Rennie, Aug 28 '22 at 08:16
see the translation of the article https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:On_a_Heuristic_Point_of_View_about_the_Creation_and_Conversion_of_Light — anna v, Aug 28 '22 at 08:24

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 28 '22 at 16:07

3

He didn't need to calculate the wavelength. Measuring the wavelength of light had been routine physics since the time of Fraunhofer. He did have to use the speed of light to calculate frequency given wavelength.

answered Aug 28 '22 at 16:07

John Doty

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How did Einstein calculate the wavelength of photons?

1 Answers1