What does Planck's constant equal?

Planck's constant is a fundamental physical constant that plays a crucial role in quantum mechanics, particularly in the description of the relationship between energy and frequency of electromagnetic radiation. Its value is approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 Joules per hertz. This constant is essential for calculations involving photons and energy transitions in quantum systems, illustrating how energy is quantized.

In the context of quantum mechanics, energy (E) of a photon can be calculated using the equation E = hν, where h represents Planck's constant, and ν (nu) is the frequency of the electromagnetic wave. This relationship highlights the integral nature of Planck’s constant in quantifying energy at the atomic and subatomic levels.

Understanding Planck's constant is vital for solving problems related to light, energy, and the behavior of particles at very small scales, marking it as one of the cornerstones of modern physics.