See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/258264851

A closer look at Planck's blackbody equation

Article  in  Physics Education · September 1997

DOI: 10.1088/0031-9120/32/5/015

CITATIONS READS

5 670

1 author:

Duncan Lawson
Newman University
48 PUBLICATIONS   533 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Duncan Lawson on 05 October 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

HOME | SEARCH | PACS & MSC | JOURNALS | ABOUT | CONTACT US

This article has been downloaded from IOPscience.

(http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/32/5/015)
More related content is available

Download details:
IP Address: 148.217.9.52
The article was downloaded on 17/11/2007 at 16:50

Please note that terms and conditions apply.

issue 5 (september) 1997 5/9/97 10:35 am Page 321
References
Glover D M, Graham G R and Macdonald R M
1989 The CCAT videodisc — a new resource for
physics education Phys. Educ. 24 304–8
Hereman W 1996 Computer algebra: lightening
the load Physics World March 47–52
Read G A and Smith T B 1994 The impact of
algebraic computing on the teaching of physics and
mathematics Phys. Educ. 29 14–9
Schecker H 1993 Learning physics by making
models Phys. Educ. 28 102–6
A closer look at Planck’s blackbody
equation
Duncan Lawson Coventry University, UK
The spectral distribution of blackbody radiation is
given by Planck’s blackbody equation. This can be
integrated across the complete spectrum to obtain
the total blackbody emissive power (the
Stefan–Boltzmann law). In some circumstances
we shall want to investigate behaviour only in a
band of the spectrum. For example, rare earth
oxides which are commonly used in
thermophotovoltaic devices typically emit
significantly only in a single narrow band. The
complexity of Planck’s blackbody equation is such
that it appears to require significant computing
prowess to be able to obtain useful results. In a
recent paper in this journal, Jain (1996) calculated
the emissive power of the visible region using the
high-powered mathematical software package
Mathematica. The requirement of advanced
numerical techniques and/or a powerful piece of
software limit the range of students who can
study spectral blackbody effects. However, by
taking a closer look at Planck’s equation we find
that it is possible to learn much about spectral
N E W A P P ROAC H E S
Software packages
The CD-ROM Multimedia Motion is available from
Cambridge Science Media, 354 Mill Road,
Cambridge CB1 3NN, UK
The simulation package Powersim is available
from Powersim AS, PO Box 206, N-5100 Isdalstö,
Norway
The simulation package Interactive Physics is
available from Knowledge Revolution, 66 Bovet
Road, Suite 200, San Mateo, CA 94402, USA
(Internet details: http://www.awl-ile.com/physics)
blackbody effects (including all of Jain’s results)
by careful use of mathematical techniques
covered in A-level and a spreadsheet (or other
simple computational tool). This opens a study of
Planck’s equation to all undergraduates.
A perfect emitter of radiation is called a blackbody.
At any temperature a blackbody emits radiation at
all wavelengths. The spectral distribution of emitted
radiation varies with temperature. The spectral
emissive power of a blackbody is governed by
Planck’s equation (Planck 1901), which gives the
spectral emissive power of a blackbody (the power
per unit area per unit wavelength), ebl, as
2pC1
ebl(l, T) 5 }}} (1)
l5 [exp(C2 /lT) 2 1]
where l is the wavelength and C1 5 hc2 5
0.595.521.97 3 108 W mm4 m22 sr21 and C2 5
hc/k 5 14.387.69 mm K (h is Planck’s constant
6.626.075.5 3 10234 J s, k is Boltzmann’s constant
1.380.658 3 10223 J K21 and c is the speed of light
321
issue 5 (september) 1997 5/9/97 10:36 am Page 322

N E W A P P ROAC H E S

in a vacuum 2.997.924.58 3 1028 m s21). 16 times larger in the second case because the band
emissive power is the band blackbody fraction
The total emissive power of a blackbody (the power multiplied by the total emissive power.
per unit area) is found by integrating Planck’s law —
over the entire spectrum A short table of values of F(lT) is given by Incropera
and de Witt (1990) and a much larger table by
E ∞
eb(T) 5 ebl(l, T) dl 5 sT4 (2) Seigel and Howell (1992).
0

An alternative formula for the blackbody

where s 5 2p5k4/15c2h3 5 5.670 51 3 1028 W
m22 K24 is the Stefan–Boltzmann constant.
The emissive power of a band of the spectrum, say
from wavelength l1 to wavelength l2, is found by
integrating equation (1) from l 5 l1 to l 5 l2:
E l2
eb, band (l1, l2, T) = ebl (l, T) dl.
l1
It is clear that the emissive power of the band from
0 to l2 is the sum of the emissive powers of the
bands from 0 to l1 and from l1 to l2; therefore we
have
eb, band(l1, l2, T) = eb, band(0, l2, T) 2 eb, band(0, l1, T). (4)
The emissive power of a band anywhere in the
spectrum can be calculated if we know the emissive
power of each band starting from zero wavelength
(i.e. the value of eb, band (0, l, T) for any value of l).
We define the blackbody fraction of the wavelength
band from 0 to l, F(0, l, T), to be the fraction of
blackbody power in the band. From equations (2)
and (3) this gives
fraction
It appears, from the nature of the integral in
equation (6), that in order to calculate the value of
the blackbody fraction for a particular band of the
spectrum numerical integration must be used. In a
recent article in this journal Jain (1996) presented a
(3)
table of values giving the blackbody fractions for the
infrared, visible and ultraviolet bands of the
spectrum for the range of temperatures 500–
16 000K. The values in this table were calculated
using the numerical capabilities of Mathematica –
Version 2.2 (1993). Mathematica is a very
sophisticated mathematical package capable of
symbolic as well as numerical computation. This
package (or something similar) may not be available
to many students. Even if it is available it is not
necessary to use something as mathematically
powerful. Very accurate values of the blackbody
fraction can be calculated using a humble
spreadsheet.
The integral in equation (6) can be simplified by
making the substitution x 5 C2 /z. This gives dx/dz
5 2C2 /z and so

E z5
C2/lT

1 2
— 2pC C
E F(lT) 5 }}1 }} 3 2 }2}2 dz. (7)
l
1 2pC1 z
F(0, l, T) 5 }}4 }}} dl. (5) s ∞ C}2} (e 2 1)
5
z
sT 0 l5 [exp(C2 /lT) 2 1]
Changing the order of the limits changes the sign of
It appears that we have two independent variables the integral and so we have
(l and T) but we can easily reduce this to only one.
By setting x 5 l T we find that —
F(lT) 5 }1
2pC ∞
E }
z3
z } dz. (8)
sC}4} C2/lT e 2 1
E
lT
— 1 2pC1 2
F(0, l, T) 5 F(l, T) 5 }} }} dx. (6)
s 0 x 5 [exp(C2/x) 2 1] Since C1 5 hc2, C2 5 hc/k and s = 2p5k4/15c2h3
we find
We see that F(0, l, T) does not depend on l and T
independently but on the product lT. This means
— 15 ∞
F(lT) 5 }} E }
z3e2z
} dz.
p4 C2/lT 1 2 e2z
(9)
that, for example, the fraction of blackbody emission
in the wavelength band 0 to 10 mm at 1000 K is the The term 1 2 e2z in the denominator of the
same as the fraction in the wavelength band 0 to 5 integrand can be expressed as a sum of powers of ez
mm at 2000 K. It is important to notice that it is the by using the binomial expansion (1 2 x)21 5 1 1 x
fraction of blackbody emission which is the same in 1 x2 1 x3 1 . . . , which converges for |x| ,1. This
these two cases. The emissive power will be gives

322
issue 5 (september) 1997 5/9/97 10:36 am Page 323

N E W A P P ROAC H E S

E
labels: the first five have obvious meanings, the next
— 15 ∞
F(lT) 5 }}4 z3e2z (1 1 e2z 1 e22z + . . .) dz (10) five are the term numbers of the terms in the infinite
p C2/lT
E
∞ sum. The value for temperature T should be entered
4 S
15
5 }} z3e2nz dz.......... ............. (11) in cell B1, the wavelength in cell B2. Cell B3
p n51 C2/lT
contains the value of the constant C2 from Planck’s
Now repeated use of integration by parts leads to law. The spreadsheet calculates the value of z and
e2nz 3 3z2 puts this in cell B4. In Microsoft EXCEL the formula
4 S }} z 1 }} 1 }} 1 2
— 15 6z 6
F(lT) 5 }} 1 } }3 (12) for this is
p n51 n n n2 n
where z 5 C2/lT. This infinite series form of the =B3/(B2*B1)
blackbody fraction function is taken from Chang and
—
Rhee (1984). The value of F(lT) is calculated and put in cell B5.
The required formula for this is
Calculating the blackbody fraction
=(15/pi()^4)*SUM(B6:B10).
It is now a relatively simple task to use a spreadsheet
to calculate the value of F(lT) for any values of l The formula for cell B6, which generates the value of
and T. The data shown in table 1 are from an the first term in the infinite sum, is
illustrative calculation to determine the blackbody
fraction in the wavelength band from 0 to 0.38 mm =(exp(-A6*B$4)/A6)*(B$4^3+3*B$4^2/
when T 5 5000 K. A6+6*B$4/A6^2+6/A6^3).
The first column of table 1 gives the spreadsheet row
numbers and the first row shows the spreadsheet This formula can then be copied into cells B7 to B10
column letters. All the entries in column A are fixed to generate the values of the second to the fifth
terms of the series.
— This method of calculating the blackbody fraction
Table 1. Spreadsheet calculation of F(lT). has a number of advantages over the use of
A B numerical integration. Firstly, the accuracy of the
1 T 5000 computed values is readily estimated from the size of
the first neglected term. More accurate values are
2 l 0.38
easily calculated by adding further terms in the
3 C2 14388 series. There is no need for wholesale recalculation
4 z 7.5725 as is often the case when improving the accuracy
— with numerical integration. Much less
5 F(lT) 0.0521
computational effort is required when using a
6 1 0.3383
truncated version of the infinite series of equation
7 2 7E 2 05 (12) than in using a numerical integration method.
8 3 2E 2 08
Table 2 shows a comparison between selected values
9 4 8E 2 12 of the blackbody fraction given by Jain (1996) and
10 5 3E 2 15 calculated using the spreadsheet described above.
The values give the percentage of blackbody power

Table 2. Blackbody percentages in selected brands.

Jain (1996) Spreadsheet
T (K) UV VIS UV + VIS UV VIS UV + VIS
2500 0.017 5.192 5.209 0.017 5.194 5.211
5000 5.129 39.166 44.295 5.211 39.127 44.388
10000 44.342 39.567 83.909 44.338 39.569 83.907

323
issue 5 (september) 1997 5/9/97 10:36 am Page 324

N E W A P P ROAC H E S

(i.e. 100 times the blackbody fraction) in the example, the percentage in the band 0–0.76 mm (i.e.
ultraviolet (0–0.38 mm), the visible (0.38–0.76 mm) in the ultraviolet and visible regions combined) at
and the infrared (.0.76 mm) regions. 2500 K is the same as the percentage in the band
— 0–0.38 mm (i.e. the ultraviolet) at 5000 K. The
We have seen that the blackbody fraction F(lT) values for these quantities taken from Jain (1996)
depends only on the product lT. The values given are 5.209 and 5.129 respectively. Whilst these
by Jain (1996) are not consistent with this. For values are close they are not the same. Similarly the

Figure 1. Spectral distribution of ebl for (a) T = 500 K, (b) T = 5000 K and (c) T = 15 000 K.

324
issue 5 (september) 1997 5/9/97 10:36 am Page 325

N E W A P P ROAC H E S
— —
percentage in the band 0–0.76 mm at 5000 K is the Fvis(T) 5 F(l2T) 2 F(l1T). (13)
same as the percentage in the band 0–0.38 mm at
10000 K. The values of these quantities taken from Using equation (9) this becomes

E E
Jain are 44.295 and 44.342 respectively, which are 15 ∞
z3 e2z 15 ∞
z3 e2z
again close but not the same. In both cases the Fvis(T) 5 }} }} 2z dz 2 }} }} dz
p4 z2 12e p4 z1 1 2 e2z
values calculated by the infinite series method are
Ez1 3 2z
automatically the same because this method of 15 z e
5 }} }} dz. (14)
calculation uses only values of the product lT and p4 z2 1 2 e2z
not the values of l and T separately. The values in
where zi 5 C2/liT so z1 . z2.
table 2, calculated using the infinite series, are
identical to those in the table of values of the It can be shown (see the Appendix) that the
blackbody fraction given by Seigel and Howell maximum value of Fvis occurs when the temperature
(1992). is Tm given by (to two decimal places, denoted 2d)
C2
Tm 5 }} 5 6990.70 (2d). (15)
The visible region 0.76 ln 15
The nature of the distribution of the blackbody The evolution of the spectral sensitivity of the
emissive power as given by Planck’s equation (1) is human eye, which defines 'visibility', has optimized
such that increases in temperature shift the to the surface temperature of the sun, which is
distribution to shorter wavelengths. At low approximately 6000 K. The difference from the
temperatures virtually all the radiation is at long value of Tm calculated here is probably due to the
wavelengths with almost none in the visible region. distortion of the sun’s spectrum from that of a
As the temperature increases the wavelength perfect blackbody, due mainly to differential
distribution moves to shorter wavelengths and a absorption in the atmosphere.
significant proportion of radiation is in the visible
Jain (1996) gives the value of Tm as 7100 K (to the
region. Further increases in temperature push the
nearest 100 K). Jain’s method was based on
spectral distribution to even shorter wavelengths,
numerical calculations of Fvis(T) at 100 K intervals
and at very high temperatures virtually all the
using numerical integration. If more accurate values
radiation is at wavelengths shorter than the visible
of Fvis(T) from the infinite series of equation (12) are
region. This is illustrated in figure 1, which shows
used, results in agreement with the analytically
the spectral distribution ebl for T = 500 K (figure
derived value of Tm given in equation (15) are
1(a)), T = 5000 K (figure 1(b)) and T = 15000 K
obtained.
(figure 1(c)).
From this description of the temperature-dependent The error in the value given by Jain (1996) can be
behaviour of ebl we see that the blackbody fraction attributed to the inaccuracies of the numerical
for the visible region approaches zero as T → 0 and integration method used allied to the very slow
T → . So, at some finite non-zero temperature the change in the value of Fvis(T) close to Tm. The
blackbody fraction for the visible region has a maximum value of Fvis(T) is 0.475 175 (6d) when T
maximum value. Jain (1996) finds this maximum 5 6991 K (to the nearest 1 K). The slowness of the
value by a crude search procedure based on change in Fvis(T) near Tm is seen by the fact that
calculating the value of the visible fraction at 100 K Fvis(T) 5 0.475 (3d) (the value given by Jain (1996)
intervals. This crude search is unnecessary because as the maximum) over the temperature range from
the temperature at which this maximum occurs can 6785 K to 7204 K.
be found exactly by using elementary calculus.
Conclusions
Maximizing the blackbody fraction for the In this paper we have demonstrated how the
visible region blackbody fraction can be calculated using a
If we denote the wavelength boundaries of the common piece of software such as a spreadsheet.
visible region by l1 and l2 we can define the Furthermore we have seen how techniques of
blackbody fraction for the visible region as elementary calculus can be used to determine at

325
issue 5 (september) 1997 5/9/97 10:36 am Page 326

N E W A P P ROAC H E S

what temperature the blackbody fraction for the the equation

visible region has its maximum value. This
technique can be applied to any band of the
spectrum, not just the visible region. It therefore has
applications in the analysis of thermovoltaic devices,
which frequently use rare earth oxide ceramics
because such substances are selective emitters of
radiation, typically emitting significantly only in a
single narrow band of the spectrum.
b42}(eb1/T 2 1) 2 b}14}(eb2/T 2 1) 5 0 (A8)
where b1 5 C2 /0.38 and b2 5 C2 /0.76.
We let b 5 C2 /0.76 then we have b1 5 2b and b2
5 b so equation (A8) becomes
b4(e2b/T 2 1) 2 (2b)}4(eb/T 2 1) 5 0. (A9)

Appendix. Finding the maximum value of Fvis After dividing by b4 and rearranging we have
In order to find the maximum value of Fvis we must
e2b/T 2 16 eb/T 1 15 5 0. (A10)
find where dFvis/dT is zero. From equation (14) we
see that the only dependence on T is in the limits of
Now if we let x 5 eb/T then equation (25) becomes
the integral. To find dFvis/dT we define g(z) and G(z)
a quadratic which can be factorized:
as follows:
z3e2z z3 x2 2 16x 1 15 5 0 (A11)
g(z) 5 }} 5 } } (A1)
1 2 e2z ez 2 1

G(z) 5 E g(z) dz. (A2)

(x 2 1)(x 2 15) 5 0. (A12)

We have x 5 1 or x = 15. Since x 5 eb/T we know

Using these definitions in equation (14) we see that
that x Þ 1 for finite T and so we have eb/T 5 15. We
Ez1
15 15 denote the temperature at which Fvis(T) takes its
Fvis(T) 5 }}4 g(z)dz 5 }} [G(z1) 2 G(z2)]. (A3)
p z2 p4 maximum value by Tm and so we have
Noting that z1 and z2 depend on T we can now use b C2
Tm 5 }} 5 }} 5 6990.70 (2d)............
(A13)
the function of a function rule to find dFvis/dT: ln 15 0.76 ln 15

1 2
dFvis 15 dz dz Received 21 June 1996, in final form 14 February 1997
}} 5 }} Gı(z1) }}1 2 Gı(z2) }}2 . (A4)
dT p4 dT dT PII: S0031–9120(97)75848–9
Now from the definition of G(z) given in equation
(A2) we see that Gı(z) 5 g(z) and so we have References
z}32} Chang S L and Rhee K T 1984 Blackbody radiation
z}13}
} dz
1 2
dFvis 15 } dz1 functions Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transfer 11
}} 5 }} z1 }} 2 ez1 2 1 }}2 ....(A5)
dT p4 e 2 1 dT dT 451–5
Incropera F P and de Witt D P 1990 Introduction
Since dzi /dT = 2C2/liT2 = 2zi /T we have to Heat Transfer 2nd edn (New York: John Wiley)
z}42}(ez1 2 1) 2 z}14}(ez2 2 1) pp 672–3

1 2
dFvis 15 Jain P K 1996 IR, visible and UV components in the
}} 5 }4} }}} (ez1 2 1)(ez2 2 1) ....(A6)
dT p T spectral distribution of blackbody radiation Phys.
Educ. 31 149–55
So to find the value of T which maximizes Fvis we Mathematica — Version 2.2 A system for doing
must solve the equation mathematics by computer (USA: Wolfram Research
Inc.)
z}42}(ez1 2 1) 2 z}14}(ez2 2 1) 5 0 (A7) Planck M 1901 Distribution of energy in the
spectrum Ann. Phys., Lpz. 4 553–63
where zi 5 C2/liT. Seigel R and Howell J R 1992 Thermal Radiation
Jain (1996) gives the boundaries of the visible Heat Transfer 3rd edn (Washington: Hemisphere)
region as 0.38 mm and 0.76 mm so we must solve pp 971–8

326

View publication stats