LUMS School of Science and Engineering

PH-102 Problem Set # 1 - Solutions September, 7,2009

Blackbody Radiation:

Answer 1. Using Stefan’s law:

RT = σ T 4

For 1’st body

R1 = σ T14

For 2’nd body

R2 = σ T24

R2 σ T24
=
R1 σ T14

R2 T2
= ( )4
R1 T1
but it is given that

T2 = 1.414 T1

So
R2 1.414 T1 4
=( )
R1 T1

R2
= (1.414)4
R1
This implies

R2 = 4 R1

i.e. the total emitted power RT increases by a factor of 4.

Answer 2.
In Wien’s displacement law, λmax × T = A, we have to find the value of A.
Since f = c/λ, we have df = |df /(dλ)|dλ = (c/λ2 )dλ; we can thus write
Plank’s energy density in terms of wavelength as follows

1
 df 8πhc 1
ρ(λ) = ρ(f )| | =
dλ λ exp( λ k cT ) − 1
5 h

The maximum of ρ(λ) corresponds to (∂ρ(λ)/∂λ) = 0. So,

dρ d hc
= 8πhc {λ−5 . (exp( ) − 1)−1 }
dλ dλ λkT

hc 8πhc hc hc hc −1
= 8πhc(−5)λ−6 (exp( ) − 1)−1 + 5 (−1) (exp( ) − 1)−2 exp( )( ) 2
λkT λ λkT λkT kT λ

hc
8πhc −5 hc exp( λkT )
= 6
{ hc
+ ( ) hc
}
λ exp( λkT ) − 1 λkT (exp( λkT ) − 1)2

To simplify it,
−hc hc hc
8πhc −5 (1 − exp( λkT )) exp( λkT ) hc exp( λkT )
= { hc
+ ( ) hc
}
λ6 (exp( λkT ) − 1)2 λkT (exp( λkT ) − 1)2

Taking the terms common

hc
8πhc −hc hc exp( λkT )
= 6
{ − 5 (1 − exp( )) + } hc
λ λkT λkT (exp( λkT ) − 1)2
dρ
Since |
dλ λ=λmax
= 0, So,
hc
8πhc −hc hc exp( λkT )
6
{ − 5(1 − exp( )) + } hc
=0
λ λkT λkT (exp( λkT ) − 1)2

equating the coefficients with zero,we left with

−hc hc
−5 (1 − exp( )) + =0
λkT λkT
hc
Let a = λkT
, it becomes
−a a
−5 (1 − exp( )) + =0
λ λ

a −a
= 5 (1 − exp( ))
λ λ

We can solve this transdential equation either graphically or numerically.

2
 a
Let’s write λ
= 5−

5 −  = 5 − 5 exp(−5 + )

 ≈ 5 exp(−5) ≈ 0.0337

Therefore
a
= 5 − 0.0337 = 4.9663
λ
hc
Since a = kT
,It becomes
hc
= 4.9663
λkT

1 hc
λmax × T =
4.9663 k

λmax × T = 2.89 × 10−3 mK

Whic is the Required Result.(Wien’s displacement law)

Answer 3.
Given is λmax = 27µm.
For 1’st body

R1 = σ T14 (1)

For 2’nd body

R2 = σ T24

But it is given that

R2 = 16 R1

This implies

16R1 = σ T24

Substitute R1 from eq.1,

16 σ T14 = σ T24

3
 T24 = 16 T14

We get

T2 = 2 T1 (2)

Now, using the Wien’s displacement law,

λ1max = Tw1 λ2max = w
T2

w w
T1 = λ1max
T2 = λ2max

Put it in the above expression (2),

w w
=2
λ2max λ1max

1
λ2max = λ1max
2

λ2max = 13.5µ m

Which is the required result.

Answer 4.
Given is T = 6000 K, λmin = 450 nm, λmax = 460 nm, ρT (f ) = ?

c 3 × 108
fmin = = = 6.52 × 1014 Hz
λmax 460 × 10−9

c 3 × 108
fmax = = −9
= 6.66 × 1014 Hz
λmin 450 × 10

df = fmax − fmin = 1.45 × 1013 Hz

fmin + fmax
f = = 6.60 × 1014 Hz
2
hf
to use Plank’s formula, we first evaluate kT
.

hf (6.63 × 10−34 J.sec)(6.60 × 1014 Hz)

= = 5.28
kT (1.38 × 10−23 J/K) 6000 K

exp(5.28) ≈ 197

4
Plank’s radiation formula is
8 πh f 3 df
ρT (f ) df = hf
c3 exp( kT − 1)

Substituting values,

(8π) (6.63 × 10−34 J.sec) (6.60 × 1014 Hz)3 (1.45 × 1013 Hz)
=
(3 × 108 )2 (197 − 1)

ρT (f ) df = 8.2 × 10−7 J/m3

Which is the Required result.

Answer 5.
No of standing waves in the cavity (in terms of frequency) is given by

8πV 3
N (f ) df = f df
c3
Where V = a3 since
c
f= = c λ−1
λ

−c
df = dλ
λ2
-ive sign shows thatλ decreases when f increases.
Since we are concerned with just numbers,So we consider only the magnitude

8 π V c2 c
N (λ) dλ = 3
( 2 ) ( 2 ) dλ
c λ λ

8πV
N (λ) dλ = dλ (3)
λ4
Required expression for no of standing waves in terms of wavelength.

Part(b).
Given is λmin = 9.5 mm λmax = 10.5 mm

So λ = (λmin +λ
2
max )
= 10 mm
and similarly dλ = 1 mm
Substitute values in expression 3,

8 π (1 m)3 (10−3 m)
N (λ) dλ =
(10 × 10−3 m)4

5
 8 π 10−3 m4
=
10−8 m4

= 8 π 108−3 = 8 π 105 = 2.5 × 106

Required no of standing waves in given range.

Answer 6.
Energy inside the cavity is given by En = nhf and the expression for Boltz-
mann distribution is P (E) = (exp( −EkT
))/kT , substituting values in the given
expression, we get
P∞ P∞ nhf −nhf P∞
n=0 En P (En ) n=0 kT exp( kT ) n=0 na exp(−na)
P∞ = P∞ 1 −nhf
= kT P ∞ (4)
n=0 P (En ) n=0 kT exp( kT
) n=0 exp(−na)
hf
Where we suppose that a = kT
By using the following results, we can simplify it
∞ P∞
d
− ∞ d
P
d X −a da n=0 exp(−na) n=0 −a da exp(−na)
−a ln exp(−na) = P∞ = P ∞
da n=0 n=0 exp(−na) n=0 exp(−na)

P∞
n=0 na exp(−na)
= P ∞
n=0 exp(−na)

Therefore, equation (4) becomes

∞ ∞
d X d X
= kT (−a ln exp(−na)) = −hf ln exp(−na) (5)
da n=0
da n=0

Now
∞
X
exp(−na) = 1 + exp −a + exp −2a + exp −3a + .....
n=0

= 1 + X + X 2 + X 3 + ....

W here X = exp(−a)
but

(1 − X)−1 = 1 + X + X 2 + X 3 + ........

So, (5) will become

d
= − hf ln (1 − exp(−a))−1
da

6
 −hf
= (−1) (1 − exp(−a))−2 exp(−a)
(1 − exp(−a))−1

exp (−a) hf hf
= hf = = hf
(1 − exp (−a)) (exp (−a) − 1) exp ( kT )−1

Which is the required proof.

Answer 7.
Plank’s radiation formula is given by
8 πhc 1
ρT (λ) = 5 hc
(6)
λ exp( λkT ) − 1
hc
Let x = λkT
for very large value of λ, x << 1.
So we can write
x2 x3
exp(x) ≈ 1 + x + + ............
2! 3!

Therefore
hc hc
exp( )−1 ≈ (F irst order)
λkT λkT
Hence the expression (4) becomes
8 πhc λkT
ρT (λ) =
λ5 hc

8 π kT
ρT (λ) = 8 π λ−4 k T =
λ4

Which is the required expression.

Answer 8
For the tuning fork,

h f1 = (6.63 × 10−34 J.sec) (500 sec−1 ) = 2.315 × 10−31 J

The total energy of vibrating tuning fork is therefore about 1029 times the
quantum energy hf. The quantization of energy is obviously too small to be
observed. That’s why, we say that tuning fork is obeying classical physics.
For the atomic oscillator,

h f2 = (6.63 × 10−34 J.sec) (5 × 1014 sec−1 ) = 3.32 × 10−19 J

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In electronvolts (eV),

3.32 × 10−19 J
h f2 = = 2.8 eV
1.60 × 10−19 J/eV

This is a significant amount of energy on an atomic scale and it is not surprising

that classical physics fails to explain it. Quantum behavior will be dominant
here.