According to Wien's Law, if the surface temperature is increased by a factor of 2, its peakwavelength will:
A)increase by a factor of 2.
B)decrease by a factor of 2.
C)increase by a factor of 4.
D)decrease by a factor of 4.
E)not change; Wien's law has nothing to do with peak wavelength.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Wien's Law states that the wavelength of maximum intensity (i.e., the peak wavelength) emitted by an object is inversely proportional to its surface temperature (λmax ∝ 1/T). Therefore, if the surface temperature is increased by a factor of 2 (i.e., T is doubled), the peak wavelength will decrease by a factor of 2 (i.e., λmax is halved). Wien's Law states that the peak wavelength of a blackbody radiation spectrum is inversely proportional to the temperature. Mathematically, this can be expressed as λmax∝1/T, where λmax is the peak wavelength and T is the temperature in Kelvin. If the surface temperature is increased by a factor of 2, then the temperature (T) in the equation doubles, leading to a halving of the peak wavelength (λmax) by a factor of 2. Therefore, the correct answer is (B) decrease by a factor of 2.

According to Wien's Law, If the Surface Temperature Is Increased