Wien's Law Calculator Temperature

Wien's Law:

\[ T = \frac{b}{\lambda_{\text{max}}} \]

Temperature (T):

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1. What is Wien's Law?

Wien's Law (Wien's displacement law) describes the relationship between the temperature of a black body and the wavelength at which it emits the most radiation. It states that the peak wavelength is inversely proportional to the temperature.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Wien's Law equation:

\[ T = \frac{b}{\lambda_{\text{max}}} \]

Where:

\( T \) — Temperature in Kelvin (K)
\( b \) — Wien's displacement constant (2.897 × 10⁻³ m·K)
\( \lambda_{\text{max}} \) — Peak wavelength in meters (m)

Explanation: The equation shows that hotter objects emit radiation at shorter wavelengths, while cooler objects emit at longer wavelengths.

3. Importance of Temperature Calculation

Details: Wien's Law is crucial in astrophysics for determining the surface temperatures of stars and other celestial bodies based on their radiation spectra. It's also used in various thermal imaging and radiation measurement applications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the peak wavelength in meters. The value must be greater than zero. The calculator will compute the corresponding temperature in Kelvin.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a black body?
A: A black body is an idealized physical body that absorbs all incident electromagnetic radiation, regardless of frequency or angle of incidence.

Q2: Why is temperature measured in Kelvin?
A: Kelvin is the SI base unit for thermodynamic temperature and is used in scientific calculations because it starts at absolute zero, the theoretical lowest possible temperature.

Q3: Can this be used for non-black bodies?
A: Wien's Law applies specifically to black bodies. For real objects, the calculated temperature represents an approximation and may need correction factors.

Q4: What are typical wavelength values?
A: For the Sun (≈5800 K), peak wavelength is around 500 nm. For room temperature objects (≈300 K), peak wavelength is around 10 μm.

Q5: How accurate is this calculation?
A: The calculation is mathematically exact for ideal black bodies. Accuracy for real-world applications depends on how closely the object approximates a black body.