Bell shape like of Planck's distribution

In summary, Planck's distribution's bell shape indicates that the majority of atoms in a body above 0K possess a certain average kinetic energy, leading to a peak point in the distribution. As the temperature of the body increases, the peak point moves to a higher frequency due to the increase in kinetic energy. This is related to the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. Planck's postulate of quantized energy, where energy exists in discrete packets, can be derived from the Boltzmann distribution. However, this does not necessarily mean that Planck assumed the particle nature of light. The integer, n, in the equation represents the number of oscillators.
  • #1
Entanglement
439
13
As a high schooler, what I can deduce from Planck's distribution's bell shape is that the majority of the atoms of a body above 0k possesses a certain K.E which is the average K.E which leads to the presence of a peak point in the distribution. While the minority posses higher or lower K.E which leads to the decrease of intensity of radiation for longer or shorter wavelengths than that of the peak point. And as the temperature of the body increases the K.E energy possessed by the majority increases so the peak point moves to a higher frequency, I think the explanation is related to maxwell-boltzman distribution to a great extent. All of what I said is just my deductions, at school we are not given explanations for what we study, and we don't have enough knowledge about the topics to deduce the explanations on our own, I'm keen on understanding every point, so I hope anyone on the forum to correct what I mentioned about the bell shape and give me a good explanation, thanks in advance.
 
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  • #3
Jilang said:
You get from the second to the first by assuming that the energy is quantised - i.e. Existing in little packets.
What is meant by energy is quantized ?
 
  • #4
Planck's postulate was that the energy of oscillators comes in discrete packets given by:
E=nhv
Where n is an integer, h is Plancks constant and v is the frequency of the oscillator. By applying this to the classical distribution for states he arrived at the Planck distribution.
 
  • #5
Jilang said:
Planck's postulate was that the energy of oscillators comes in discrete packets given by:
E=nhv
Where n is an integer, h is Plancks constant and v is the frequency of the oscillator. By applying this to the classical distribution for states he arrived at the Planck distribution.
You mean we mean that he assumed the Particle nature of light ?
 
  • #6
He didn't quite go that far. Einstein is given credit for that.
 
  • #7
Jilang said:
He didn't quite go that far. Einstein is given credit for that.
But at least he assumed that the light is quantized to photons.
 
  • #8
Jilang said:
Planck's postulate was that the energy of oscillators comes in discrete packets given by:
E=nhv
Where n is an integer
N is number of oscillators ?
 
  • #9
ElmorshedyDr said:
But at least he assumed that the light is quantized to photons.

No, I don't think he went that far. It was a mathematical trick that gave the right answer.
 
  • #10
ElmorshedyDr said:
N is number of oscillators ?

No, it is just an integer. The number of oscillators is given by the Boltzmann distribution.
 

Related to Bell shape like of Planck's distribution

What is Planck's distribution?

Planck's distribution is a mathematical model that describes the distribution of energy emitted by a blackbody at different wavelengths. It was developed by Max Planck in 1900 and is also known as the Planck's law or Planck's formula.

What does the bell shape of Planck's distribution represent?

The bell shape of Planck's distribution represents the intensity of radiation emitted by a blackbody at different wavelengths. The peak of the curve corresponds to the most probable wavelength of emission, while the wings of the curve represent less probable wavelengths.

Why is the bell shape important in Planck's distribution?

The bell shape is important because it shows that the distribution of emitted energy is not equal for all wavelengths. It demonstrates that there is a peak wavelength of emission, which is related to the temperature of the blackbody. This peak wavelength can be used to determine the temperature of a blackbody.

What factors affect the shape of Planck's distribution?

The shape of Planck's distribution is affected by the temperature of the blackbody, with higher temperatures resulting in a shorter and narrower peak. It is also influenced by the material of the blackbody and its physical properties, such as reflectivity and conductivity.

How is Planck's distribution used in science?

Planck's distribution is used in many areas of science, including astrophysics, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. It is used to explain the emission of radiation from objects such as stars and to understand the behavior of matter at the atomic level. It is also used in the development of technologies such as solar panels and infrared cameras.

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