Nimo

Study smarter with Nimo

Personalised revision that adapts to you. Ace your revision with unlimited practice questions that are designed to help you learn faster. We're slowly rolling out to more and more students.

Understanding perfect black bodies in thermal radiation

Waves and electromagnetic radiationBlack body radiation

Key concepts

What you'll likely be quizzed about

  • A perfect black body is an ideal surface that absorbs all electromagnetic radiation falling onto it.
  • This characteristic implies that it reflects no light and is a perfect absorber at all wavelengths of radiation.
  • In reality, no object achieves perfect absorption, but materials that closely approach this ideal serve as references in physics.

Flashcards

Test your knowledge with interactive flashcards

What defines the emissivity of materials?

Click to reveal answer

Emissivity is defined by comparing the thermal radiation of a material to that of a perfect black body at the same temperature.

Key notes

Important points to keep in mind

Perfect black bodies do not reflect light.

They serve as a reference for emissivity.

Built with v0