Oxygenated hemoglobin absorbs weakly in the red (hence its red color) and strongly in the near infrared, whereas deoxygenated hemoglobin has the opposite absorption. This fact is used in a āpulse oximeterā to measure oxygen saturation in arterial blood. The device clips onto the end of a personās finger and has two light-emitting diodesāa red (660 nm) and an infrared (940 nm)āand a photocell that detects the amount of light transmitted through the finger at each wavelength. (a) Determine the frequency of each of these light sources. (b) If 67% of the energy of the red source is absorbed in the blood, by what factor does the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave change?
Hint: The intensity of the wave is equal to the average power per unit area as given by Equation 21.28.