Gaurav Gupta
Last Activity: 7 Years ago
When considering how an ideal black body emits radiation, we can turn to the Stefan-Boltzmann Law, which tells us that the total energy radiated per unit surface area of a black body is directly proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature. This relationship is crucial for understanding how changes in temperature affect radiation output.
The Stefan-Boltzmann Law Explained
The Stefan-Boltzmann Law can be expressed mathematically as:
J = σT⁴
Where:
- J is the total power radiated per unit area.
- σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant (approximately 5.67 × 10⁻⁸ W/m²K⁴).
- T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin.
Calculating the Effect of a 10% Increase in Temperature
If we increase the temperature of the black body by 10%, we can express this mathematically. If the original temperature is T, the new temperature will be:
T' = T + 0.1T = 1.1T
Now, we need to determine how the radiation output changes. According to the Stefan-Boltzmann Law:
J' = σ(T')⁴ = σ(1.1T)⁴
Expanding this gives:
J' = σ(1.1⁴T⁴)
Now, let's calculate 1.1⁴:
1.1⁴ ≈ 1.4641
Finding the Percentage Increase in Radiation
The percentage increase in radiation emitted can be calculated using the formula:
Percentage Increase = [(J' - J) / J] × 100%
Substituting our values into the formula gives:
Percentage Increase = [(σ(1.1⁴T⁴) - σ(T⁴)) / σ(T⁴)] × 100%
Since σ(T⁴) cancels out, we simplify to:
Percentage Increase = [(1.4641 - 1) / 1] × 100%
This results in:
Percentage Increase ≈ 46.41%
Summary of Findings
Thus, when the temperature of an ideal black body is increased by 10%, the quantity of radiation emitted from its surface will increase by approximately 46.41%. This significant increase emphasizes the sensitivity of black body radiation to temperature changes, illustrating the powerful impact of the Stefan-Boltzmann Law in thermodynamics.