blackbody

American  

[blak-bod-ee] / ˈblækˈbɒd i /

noun

Physics.

plural

blackbodies

1. a hypothetical body that absorbs without reflection all of the electromagnetic radiation incident on its surface and then, depending on temperature, emits its own thermal radiation.

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blackbody Scientific  

/ blăk′bŏd′ē /

1. A theoretically perfect absorber and emitter of every frequency of electromagnetic radiation. The radiation emitted by a blackbody is a function only of its temperature.

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blackbody Cultural  

1. An object that can absorb and send off radiation with complete efficiency — that is, it reflects (see reflection) none of the radiation that falls on it. The higher the object's temperature, the higher the frequency of the radiation it gives off.

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Etymology

Origin of blackbody

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

This idea produced what would become the blackbody curve, a graph showing how brightly an object emits light at different wavelengths depending on its temperature.

From Scientific American • Sep. 1, 2023

The biggest difference between it and a true blackbody is the presence of hydrogen and other elements in its atmosphere that absorb very narrow wavelength ranges of light, which produces gaps in the blackbody curve.

From Scientific American • Sep. 1, 2023

Deep space acts like a blackbody with a 2.7 K temperature, radiating most of its energy in the microwave frequency range.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Ideal radiators are therefore called blackbodies, and their EM radiation is called blackbody radiation.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

This revolutionary idea looks similar to Planck’s quantization of energy states in blackbody oscillators, but it is quite different.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015