Wien’s law

Understanding Wien's Law

 Wien's Law, named after physicist Wilhelm Wien, is the concept for understanding black-
body radiation and the behavior of a particular type of ideal radiator known as a black body.
 The Wien’s displacement law states that “the peak wavelength of emitted radiation is
inversely proportional to the absolute temperature of the object”.
 The formula for Wien's Law is derived by considering a black body in thermal equilibrium.
Mathematically, it's expressed as:

• Where: λmax is the peak wavelength, T is the black body's temperature (in Kelvin), and b is
Wien's displacement constant (approximately2.898 ×10−3 mK ).

DEFINITIONS:
 Black body radiator is a theoretical object which absorbs all radiation that lands on it.
 Luminosity is the rate at which energy of all types is radiated by an object in all directions.
( SI unit is Watts)
 Black body is a hypothetical perfect absorber and radiator of energy with no reflecting
power.
 Intensity is the power per unit area.( SI unit is Watts per Metre square)

Stefan-Boltzmann Law
 The law states that “the power output from a black body is directly proportional to its
surface area and the fourth power of its temperature in kelvin.”

E = AσT4
Where:

 E- radiant heat energy

 surface area of the black body

 σ- Stefan-Boltzmann constant ( 5.67 x 10−8Wm−2 K−4 )

 T- absolute temperature

How Wien's Law and the Stefan-Boltzmann Law are related

 Both laws deal with blackbody radiation. A blackbody is an idealized object that
absorbs all radiation incident upon it and emits radiation at all wavelengths.

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  Derivation: The Stefan-Boltzmann Law can be mathematically derived from Wien's
Law, demonstrating a deeper connection
 They focus on different aspects of blackbody radiation. Wien's Law addresses the
peak wavelength of emitted radiation, while the Stefan-Boltzmann Law addresses the
total power emitted.
 Applications: They are often used together to analyze and understand the properties of
blackbody radiation.

 This graph shows that a black body with a higher absolute temperature has a more
prominent peak of energy output at a shorter wavelength.

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  It also shows that black bodies with a higher absolute temperature have greater maximum
energy outputs compared to black bodies with lower absolute temperatures.

 These curves also explain what we observe from a radiating body:

 At low temperatures, the peak is in infra-red (or longer) wavelengths. The intensity in the
visible range is too small to be noticeable. We do not see any light emitted from the body.
 As the temperature increases, the peak wavelength moves towards the visible range. We
see the body glowing red (as red has the longest visible wavelength). With further
increases, the peak wavelength moves to orange, then yellow wavelengths.
 As the peak moves towards the centre of the visible range, with the peak in the green
wavelengths, the high intensity across the visible spectrum makes the body appear to
glow white-hot
 At higher temperatures still, the peak moves towards the blue end of the spectrum.
 Wien’s law shows that the peak wavelength of a black body decreases as it gets hotter,
this will lead to an increase in the frequency since frequency is inversely proportional to
wavelength:
v=fλ
 This will therefore lead to an increase in the energy output of the wave. Since E=hf,
energy output is directly proportional to the peak wavelength of the black body.

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  Wien’s law shows that the peak wavelength of a black body decreases as the absolute
temperature increases, this will lead to an increase in the frequency since frequency is
inversely proportional to wavelength:

 substitute equation (i) to equation (ii)

 So, the shorter the wavelength of the EM radiation, the higher its energy. Short
wavelength, high frequency radiation like x-rays have the highest energy while long
wavelength, low frequency radiation like radio waves have the lowest energy.

Examining Wien's Law through Real-Life Examples

 Take an electric stove element for example. At first, as it starts heating up, it will simply
feel hot without necessarily showing visible signs of heat. But as you continue to add
heat, it will eventually begin to glow, typically starting with a dull red. This is because
the amount of heat energy is enough to cause it to emit visible light. As the temperature
increases, the colours change from red to yellow and ultimately to white - exactly as
predicted by Wien's Law.
 Every glowing object has a temperature corresponding to the colour of the light it emits.
This phenomenon is a direct result of Wien's Law. All objects follow this principle.

Wien's Law - Key takeaways

 Wien's Law, in essence, is a distillation of three key principles:
I. The intensity of black-body radiation increases as the temperature rises.
II. The peak of this radiation occurs at a specific wavelength.
III. This peak wavelength is inversely proportional to the black body's temperature
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  The mathematical formula for Wien's Law is:

Comparison and contrast of wien’s law from Stefan-boltzmanns law

⋆ Both laws apply to ideal blackbodies and offer valuable insights into blackbody-
temperature relationships.
⋆ Both Wien's Law and Stefan-Boltzmann Law describe the relationship between
blackbody radiation and temperature.
⋆ Wien's Law is used to estimate the temperature of stars based on their observed color
(e.g., blue stars hotter than red stars). Stefan-Boltzmann Law is used to calculate the total
amount of energy radiated by stars and planets, understand the greenhouse effect, and
analyze blackbody radiation curves.
⋆ Wien's Law emphasizes the spectral distribution of energy, while Stefan-Boltzmann Law
focuses on the total energy output.

Limitations of Wien’s law

⋆ Wien's Law assumes perfect absorption and emission at all wavelengths, which isn't true for real
objects. Their non-ideal emissivity can lead to inaccurate temperature estimations.
⋆ Wien's Law only tells us about the peak intensity, neglecting the complete distribution of energy
across the spectrum. This can be limiting for detailed analysis.
⋆ The derived equation primarily applies to the visible range. Using it directly for infrared or
ultraviolet might require adjustments or additional considerations.

Applications of Wien's Law in Field of Astronomy

⋆ It allows astronomers to approximate the surface temperature of stars based on the peak
wavelength of radiation they emit. This is because hotter stars emit light at shorter wavelengths,
while cooler stars emit light at longer wavelengths. For example, a blue star is hotter than a red
star.
⋆ Wien's Law can be used to study the lifecycle and properties of stars, as well as other objects like
galaxies and nebulae. For example, by studying the colors of stars in a galaxy, astronomers can
learn about the galaxy's age and composition.
⋆ Wien's Law can also be used to estimate the temperature of other objects, such as planets and
asteroids. For example, by measuring the infrared radiation emitted by a planet, astronomers can
estimate its surface temperature.

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 Examining Wien's Law Through Real-Life Examples
 Take an electric stove element for example. At first, as it starts heating up, it will simply feel hot
without necessarily showing visible signs of heat. But as you continue to add heat, it will
eventually begin to glow, typically starting with a dull red. This is because the amount of heat
energy is enough to cause it to emit visible light. As the temperature increases, the colours change
from red to yellow and ultimately to white - exactly as predicted by Wien's Law.
 Every glowing object has a temperature corresponding to the colour of the light it emits. This
phenomenon is a direct result of Wien's Law. All objects follow this principle.

Worked Examples
1

Luminosity is the rate at which energy of all types is radiated by an object in all directions
intensity is the power incident per unit area. Intensity depends on the distance from a star

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3

By Aadarsh, Dhruv and Priyen

Sources:
 Edexcel IAL physics student book 2
 https://byjus.com/
 https://pmt.physicsandmathstutor.com/
 https://www.savemyexams.com/
 Physics made easy
 https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/

By Aadarsh, Dhruv and Priyen