This diagram covers Black Body Spectrum within Black Body Radiation for GCSE Physics. Revise Black Body Radiation in Energy for GCSE Physics with 16 exam-style questions and 5 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 3 of 7 in this topic. Focus on the labels, the relationships between parts, and the explanation that turns the diagram into an exam-ready answer.
Topic position
Section 3 of 7
Practice
16 questions
Recall
5 flashcards
📊 Black Body Spectrum
Figure 2: Black body spectrum — as temperature rises the peak shifts to shorter wavelengths (Wien's Law) and total emission increases.
All objects emit a continuous spectrum of EM radiation. The intensity and peak wavelength depend on TEMPERATURE.
KEY OBSERVATIONS:
- Higher temperature → MORE total radiation emitted (curve gets taller/larger area)
- Higher temperature → SHORTER peak wavelength (curve shifts left towards blue/UV)
- Higher temperature → different visible colour:
| Temperature | Peak Emission | Colour Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Cold objects | Infrared | Invisible (dark) |
| ~1000°C | Near-infrared/red | Dull red glow |
| ~3000°C | Red/orange | Bright orange/yellow |
| ~6000°C (Sun) | Visible (all colours) | White |
| ~10000°C+ | Blue/UV | Blue-white |
Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Black Body Radiation. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for Black Body Radiation
What is a perfect black body?
Explain how the radiation emitted by an object changes as its temperature increases.
Quick Recall Flashcards
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