blackbody radiation

American  

[blak-bahd-ee ray-dee-ay-shuhn] / ˈblækˌbɑd i ˌreɪ diˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. Physics. the electromagnetic radiation and spectrum of light emitted by an object, such as a toaster's heating element, according to its temperature, as described by Planck's radiation law.

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blackbody radiation Scientific  

1. The electromagnetic radiation that a perfect blackbody would give off at a given temperature. A warm blackbody would emit radiation with a higher average frequency than a cooler one.

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Example Sentences

A good approximation of a blackbody that can be used to observe blackbody radiation is a metal oven that can be heated to very high temperatures.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Continuous spectra often have distributions that can be approximated as blackbody radiation at some appropriate temperature.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

The greenhouse effect can be explained easily if you understand the laws of blackbody radiation.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

In the first he imagined a perfectly reflecting cylindrical cavity in which the two end disks—which served as heaters—were suddenly switched on, filling the cavity with ordinary heat, or in physicist lingo, blackbody radiation.

From Scientific American • Aug. 24, 2015

Frequency is the rate at which a vibration occurs that constitutes a wave, Planck discovered the concept of blackbody radiation.

From Scientific American • Oct. 14, 2013