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How does the intensity at a given wavelength change if you increase temperature?

a. the intensity increases
b. the intensity stays the same
c. the intensity decreases

User Harol
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Increasing the temperature of an object results in an increase in intensity at a given wavelength, as well as a decrease in the wavelength of peak emission. This is because more energetic radiation is emitted as temperature rises, according to Planck's law and Wien's displacement law.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the temperature of an object increases, the intensity at a given wavelength also increases. This is due to the fact that a higher temperature results in greater energy emission per unit area at every wavelength, according to Planck's law of blackbody radiation. This ties into the concept that as the temperature of a blackbody increases, the wavelength of its peak emission according to Wien's displacement law decreases, meaning the object emits more radiation at shorter, more energetic wavelengths. In addition, the overall curve on a graph displaying intensity versus wavelength broadens and heightens as temperature rises, meaning there is an increase in intensity across the spectrum. This is consistent with the Stefan-Boltzmann law, which dictates that the total emitted energy increases with the fourth power of the blackbody's absolute temperature.

Moreover, this relationship between frequency, wavelength, and temperature also confirms that as the temperature increases, the frequency of the light providing the greatest intensity increases as well. Given that the speed of light is constant, frequency and wavelength are inversely related.

User ZeroTek
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