At what wavelength would a star radiate the greatest amount of energy if the star has a surface temperature of 60,000 K
A)50 nm
B)500 nm
C)300 nm
D)1.8 × 1011 nm
E)180 nm

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The peak wavelength of radiation emitted by a star can be determined using Wien's displacement law, which states that the product of the temperature (in Kelvin) and the peak wavelength (in meters) is a constant. For a star with a temperature of 60,000 K, the peak wavelength can be calculated as follows: Wien's displacement constant is approximately $2.898 \times 10^{-3}$ m·K. So, $λ_{max} = \frac{2.898 \times 10^{-3} m·K}{60000 K} = 4.83 \times 10^{-8} m$ or 48.3 nm, which is closest to the given option of 50 nm.

At What Wavelength Would a Star Radiate the Greatest Amount