Wien Displacement Law
For a blackbody, the product of the wavelength corresponding to the maximum radiancy and the thermodynamic temperature is a constant, the Wien displacement law constant. As a result, as the temperature rises, the maximum of the radiant energy shifts toward the shorter wavelength (higher frequency and energy) end of the spectrum.
- Wien displacement law constant,
- b = 2.8977686x10-3 m K
For the sun, whose surface temperature is 5800 K, the peak wavelength is about 0.5 µm. The law can be used to infer the temperature of a star from its spectral distribution.
See also: Blackbody.
Subjects: Physics