What happens to energy as the frequency of a wave decreases?

As the frequency of a wave decreases, the energy of the wave also decreases. This relationship is grounded in the principles of wave mechanics, specifically in the context of electromagnetic waves and sound waves. Energy is directly proportional to the frequency of a wave; as frequency goes down, the energy carried by the wave diminishes accordingly.

In the case of electromagnetic radiation, for instance, higher frequency waves such as gamma rays possess higher energy, while lower frequency waves like radio waves have significantly less energy. The formula that describes this relationship is E = h * f, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is frequency. Hence, when frequency decreases, the energy does not remain constant or fluctuate but rather decreases consistently due to the inherent mathematical relationship defined by this equation.