The Cosmic Microwave Background is blackbody radiation with a temperature of 2.70 K. What is the energy of the photons (in electron volts) corresponding to the maximum intensity?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy of the photons at the peak of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation can be calculated using Wien's displacement law and the formula for energy of a photon. Wien's law gives the wavelength corresponding to the maximum intensity, and the energy can be calculated using E = hc/λ, where h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, and λ is the wavelength. Given the temperature of 2.70 K, the peak wavelength is in the microwave range, and the corresponding energy is in the order of 10^-3 eV, making option C (1.2 × 10^-3 eV) the correct answer.

The Cosmic Microwave Background Is Blackbody Radiation with a Temperature