1. What is Wien's Law Calculator?

Definition: This calculator determines the peak wavelength of radiation emitted by a black body at a given temperature using Wien's displacement law.

Purpose: It helps physicists, astronomers, and engineers understand thermal radiation properties of objects.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Wien's Law formula:

Where:

• \( \lambda_{max} \) — Peak wavelength (meters)
• \( b \) — Wien's displacement constant (2.897×10⁻³ m K)
• \( T \) — Absolute temperature (Kelvin)

Explanation: The peak wavelength of emitted radiation is inversely proportional to the object's absolute temperature.

3. Importance of Wien's Law

Details: Wien's Law helps determine the temperature of stars, understand thermal radiation from objects, and design thermal imaging systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter Wien's constant (default 0.002897 m K) and the temperature in Kelvin. All values must be > 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is Wien's displacement constant?
A: It's a physical constant that relates the temperature of a black body to the peak wavelength of its emitted radiation (approximately 2.897×10⁻³ m K).

Q2: Why is temperature in Kelvin?
A: Wien's Law requires absolute temperature, where 0 K is absolute zero. Kelvin is the SI unit for thermodynamic temperature.

Q3: What objects does this apply to?
A: It applies to idealized black bodies, but gives good approximations for many real objects like stars and heated metals.

Q4: How is this used in astronomy?
A: Astronomers use it to estimate star temperatures by measuring their peak emission wavelengths.

Q5: What if my wavelength result is very small?
A: For high temperatures, the peak wavelength can be in nanometers (1 nm = 10⁻⁹ m). You may need to convert units for practical use.