An astronomer plots the blackbody curve for an object at 8000 K and then raises the temperature of the object to 12,000 K and plots the blackbody curve again. These curves
A) intersect at a point that depends on the mass of the object.
B) intersect at a point that depends on the atomic structure of the object.
C) intersect at several points. The number of crossings can be used to find the chemical composition of the object.
D) will not intersect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Blackbody radiation curves for different temperatures do not intersect because the shape of the curve depends solely on the temperature of the object, according to Planck's law. As the temperature increases, the peak of the curve shifts to shorter wavelengths without intersecting the curve of a lower temperature.

An Astronomer Plots the Blackbody Curve for an Object at 8000