what is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant ??
In: 1
Alright, imagine you have a magical flashlight called a “black body.” This flashlight can make light by just being hot, and the hotter it gets, the more light it makes. The Stefan-Boltzmann constant is like a special rule that tells us exactly how much light this magical flashlight will make based on how hot it is. So, if you know how hot the flashlight is, you can use this rule to figure out how much light it’s going to shine out. Just like how you know that when you turn up the heat on the stove, it gets hotter and gives off more heat, this rule helps scientists understand how much light comes from really hot things, like stars!
Every object emits light due to its heat. Hotter objects emit more light. The Stefan-Boltzmann law describes how much is emitted:
*M = σT^4*
Where:
* M is the radiant exitance, the amount of energy emitted per unit surface area per unit time
* σ = 5.67×10^−8 W m^−2 K^−4 is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant
* T is the temperature of the object
If an object is a ‘black body’, then it *only* emits light due to its heat; this could be that it’s so bright that reflected light is negligible (e.g., the Sun).
Latest Answers