- #1
joshgreaves332
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What exactly did Max Planck assert regarding the discrete quantum nature of energy that was so significant to the observations obtained of black bodies, which contradicted the classical predictions of the time? i.e. the UV catastrophe?
My overall understanding is flawed I wonder if you could right me:
Incident radiation of a range of frequencies heats up the black body to thermal eq with the environment.
A given atom inside the box will begin to emit radiation energy at a range of frequencies.
At 1 given frequency, there could be a number of standing waves (or modes) and this number of possible modes increases quadratically with frequency? (correct?, why is this?)
The energy radiated is stored in these modes/standing waves, why? By this I mean to say, why was it concluded from classical physics that the energy should be proportional to the frequency?
This was theorized to increase constantly leading to the UV catastrophe; why is this not the case exactly? I understand there is only a certain amount of energy that can be emitted so, is it just that it follows a probability distribution, falling off at the higher frequencies? (Why?)
Many thanks
My overall understanding is flawed I wonder if you could right me:
Incident radiation of a range of frequencies heats up the black body to thermal eq with the environment.
A given atom inside the box will begin to emit radiation energy at a range of frequencies.
At 1 given frequency, there could be a number of standing waves (or modes) and this number of possible modes increases quadratically with frequency? (correct?, why is this?)
The energy radiated is stored in these modes/standing waves, why? By this I mean to say, why was it concluded from classical physics that the energy should be proportional to the frequency?
This was theorized to increase constantly leading to the UV catastrophe; why is this not the case exactly? I understand there is only a certain amount of energy that can be emitted so, is it just that it follows a probability distribution, falling off at the higher frequencies? (Why?)
Many thanks