p. 1608. Planck's distribution
- Roger BowleyRoger BowleyDepartment of Physics University of Nottingham
- , and Mariana Sánchez
Abstract
This chapter considers the distribution of the energy U among N oscillators of frequency ν, noting that an infinite number of distributions are possible if U is viewed as a divisible without limit. It discusses the theory of black-body radiation, which was developed by Max Planck in 1900 and gave birth to quantum physics. It defines a black body as one that absorbs all the radiation incident upon it. No radiation is reflected so that it looks black when it is cold. The chapter explains that objects emit electromagnetic radiation at a rate which varies in relation to their temperature. This radiation cannot be seen because its wavelength is the wrong frequency for the human eye. The chapter states that a body in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings emits and absorbs radiation at exactly the same rate.
