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The ultraviolet catastrophe refers to the prediction by classical physics that a blackbody would emit an infinite amount of energy at short wavelengths, which is not observed experimentally. This discrepancy was resolved by the development of quantum mechanics and Planck's law of blackbody radiation, which introduced the concept of energy quantization.
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Can you provide some examples of blackbody radiation and explain their significance in physics?
Blackbody radiation refers to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by a perfect absorber and emitter of radiation, known as a blackbody. Examples of blackbody radiation include the radiation emitted by stars, such as the Sun, and the thermal radiation emitted by objects at high temperatures, like a heated metal rod. In physics, blackbody radiation is significant because it helped to develop the understanding of quantum mechanics and the concept of energy quantization. The study of blackbody radiation also led to the development of Planck's law, which describes the spectral distribution of radiation emitted by a blackbody at a given temperature. This law played a crucial role in the development of modern physics and the theory of quantum mechanics.
Who discovered blackbody radiation?
Blackbody radiation was discovered by Max Planck in 1900. Planck proposed a theory that described the spectral distribution of energy emitted by a blackbody at different temperatures, leading to the development of quantum mechanics.
Does a blackbody emit all its radiation at a single frequency?
No, a blackbody emits radiation over a range of frequencies, not just a single frequency. The distribution of radiation emitted by a blackbody is described by Planck's law, which shows that the intensity of radiation varies with different wavelengths.
What does Stefan's law tell us about radiation emitted by a blackbody?
Stefan's law states that the total amount of radiation emitted by a blackbody is directly proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature. This means that as the temperature of a blackbody increases, the amount of radiation it emits also increases significantly.
What did planck assume in order to explain the experimental data for blackbody radiation?
Max Planck assumed that the energy emitted by oscillators in a blackbody is quantized, meaning it can only take on discrete values, in order to explain the experimental data for blackbody radiation. This assumption led to the development of the famous Planck's law, which accurately described the spectrum of radiation emitted by a blackbody.
