blackbody

American  

[blak-bod-ee] / ˈblækˈbɒd i /

noun

Physics.

blackbodies plural

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

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

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

Physicists derived mathematical expressions for the blackbody curves using well-accepted concepts from the theories of classical mechanics and classical electromagnetism.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

What aspect of the blackbody spectrum forced Planck to propose quantization of energy levels in its atoms and molecules?

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Using the quantization of oscillators, Planck was able to correctly describe the experimentally known shape of the blackbody spectrum.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015