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# Blackbody Spectrum

Download Embed close Embed a running copy of this simulation <iframe src="https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/blackbody-spectrum/blackbody-spectrum_en.html" width="800" height="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen></iframe> Use this HTML to embed a running copy of this simulation. You can change the width and height of the embedded simulation by changing the "width" and "height" attributes in the HTML. Embed an image that will launch the simulation when clicked <div style="position: relative; width: 300px; height: 197px;"><a href="https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/blackbody-spectrum/blackbody-spectrum_en.html" style="text-decoration: none;" rel="external"><img src="https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/blackbody-spectrum/blackbody-spectrum-600.png" alt="Blackbody Spectrum" style="border: none;" width="300" height="197"/><div style="position: absolute; width: 200px; height: 80px; left: 50px; top: 58px; background-color: #FFF; opacity: 0.6; filter: alpha(opacity = 60);"></div><table style="position: absolute; width: 200px; height: 80px; left: 50px; top: 58px;"><tr><td style="text-align: center; color: #000; font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Click to Run</td></tr></table></a></div> Use this HTML code to display a screenshot with the words "Click to Run". | Blackbody Sun Light Donate PhET is supported by and educators like you.

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### Topics

- Blackbody
- Sun
- Light
- Quantum Mechanics

### Description

How does the blackbody spectrum of the sun compare to visible light? Learn about the blackbody spectrum of the sun, a light bulb, an oven, and the earth. Adjust the temperature to see the wavelength and intensity of the spectrum change. View the color of the peak of the spectral curve.

### Sample Learning Goals

- Describe what happens to the blackbody spectrum as you increase the temperature. What happens to the shape of the curve and the peak of this curve?
- What happens to the blackbody spectrum as you decrease the temperature?
- Set the temperature to that of a light bulb (around 3000 K). Based on this information, do lightbulbs seem efficient? Why do light bulbs get hot?
- Imagine that you see 2 hot, glowing objects--one is glowing orange and the other is glowing blue. Which one is hotter?

Version 2.02

### Keywords

- Radiation
- Thermodynamics
- Light
- Spectrum
- Temperature
- Blackbody
- Thermal Energy
- Quantum Mechanics
- Chemistry

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### Teacher Tips

| Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

### Teacher-Submitted Activities

Title |  |  | Authors | Level | Type | Subject
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Visualization and Visual Illusions SIM Homework |  |  | Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman | UG-Intro | HW | Physics
Blackbody Radiation and Wien's Law |  |  | Michael Pennisi | HS | Lab | Physics
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS |  |  | Trish Loeblein | HS | Other | Chemistry Biology Physics Earth Science
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? |  |  | Sarah Borenstein | MS | Other | Chemistry Biology Earth Science Physics
PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum |  |  | Julia Chamberlain | HS UG-Intro | Other | Chemistry
Blackbody Spectrum Simulation Homework |  |  | Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman | UG-Adv UG-Intro | HW | Physics
Blackbody Spectrum & Lasers Simulations Homework |  |  | Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman | UG-Intro HS | HW | Physics
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment |  |  | Elyse Zimmer | HS MS | Other | Physics Chemistry Biology
Temperature and Radiation Activity |  |  | Dorian McIntire | HS UG-Intro | Lab HW | Other Astronomy Physics
Temperature and Luminosity of Stars: Wein's Law and the Stephan Boltzmann Law |  |  | Rhoda Berenson | UG-Intro | Lab | Astronomy
Blackbody Radiation updated from Michael P. |  |  | michael marty | HS | Lab Demo |
Black Body Radiation: Seeking Patterns in Data Sets |  |  | Roberto Marrero | HS | Lab | Chemistry
Solar Astronomy |  |  | Mark Kelly | HS | HW Lab | Astronomy
Blackbody Spectrum |  |  | Curt Miller | HS | Lab | Physics
흑체 스펙트럼 SIM 사용지침서 |  |  | 이화국(Wha Kuk Lee) | MS HS | Demo Lab | Earth Science Physics Chemistry Astronomy
Espectro del cuerpo negro |  |  | Patricia Abdel Rahim | UG-Adv UG-Intro | Lab | Physics
Ley de Wien y de Stephan-Boltzmann |  |  | José Saldaña | UG-Intro HS | Lab | Astronomy Physics

Share an Activity!

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Language |  | Download or Run |  |  | Tips
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Afrikaans | All Afrikaans |  |  | Swartliggaamstraling Spektrum |
Arabic | All العربية |  |  | طيف الجسم المظلم |
Basque | All Basque |  |  | Gorputz beltzaren espektroa |
Belarusian | All беларускі |  |  | Спектр абсалютна чорнага цела |
Bosnian | All Bosanski |  |  | ZRAČENJE CRNOG TIJELA |
Catalan | All català |  |  | Espectre del Cos Negre |
Chinese (Simplified) | All 中文 (中国) |  |  | 黑体辐射 |
Chinese (Traditional) | All 中文 (台灣) |  |  | 黑體幅射光譜 |
Croatian | All hrvatski |  |  | Zračenje crnog tijela |
Czech | All čeština |  |  | Spektrum černého tělesa |
Danish | All Dansk |  |  | Farvesammensætning |
Dutch | All Nederlands |  |  | zwarte straler |
Estonian | All Eesti |  |  | Mustkiirguri spekter |
Finnish | All suomi |  |  | Mustan kappaleen säteilyn spektri |
French | All français |  |  | Spectre du corps noir |
Galician | All Gallegan |  |  | Espectro do Corpo Negro |
German | All Deutsch |  |  | Spektrum eines Schwarzen Strahlers |
Greek | All Ελληνικά |  |  | Φάσμα μελανού σώματος |
Hebrew | All עברית |  |  | ספטרום של גוף שחור |
Hungarian | All magyar |  |  | Hőmérsékleti sugárzás spektruma |
Indonesian | All Bahasa Indonesia |  |  | Spektrum Benda hitam |
Italian | All italiano |  |  | Spettro del corpo nero |
Japanese | All 日本語 |  |  | 黒体のスペクトル(Blackbody Spectrum) |
Kannada | All Kannada |  |  | blackbody-spectrum |
Kazakh | All Kazakh |  |  | Қара дене спектрі |
Khmer | All Khmer |  |  | ស្ប៉ិច Blackbody |
Korean | All 한국어 |  |  | 흑체 스펙트럼 |
Macedonian | All македонски |  |  | Зрачење на црно тело |
Marathi | All मराठी |  |  | कृष्णिका वर्णपंक्ती |
Persian | All فارسی |  |  | طیف جسم سیاه |
Polish | All polski |  |  | Spektrum ciała doskonale czarnego |
Portuguese | All português |  |  | Radiação do Corpo Negro |
Portuguese (Brazil) | All português (Brasil) |  |  | blackbody-spectrum |
Serbian | All Српски |  |  | Зрачење црног тела |
Slovak | All Slovenčina |  |  | Žiarenie čierneho telesa |
Slovenian | All Slovenščina |  |  | Spekter črnega telesa |
Spanish | All español |  |  | Espectro del Cuerpo Negro |
Spanish (Mexico) | All español (México) |  |  | Espectro del Cuerpo Negro |
Spanish (Peru) | All español (Perú) |  |  | Espectro del Cuerpo Negro |
Swedish | All svenska |  |  | Svartkroppsspektrum |
Thai | All ไทย |  |  | การแผ่รังสีของวัตถุดำ |
Turkish | All Türkçe |  |  | siyah cisim ışıması |
Turkmen | All Turkmen |  |  | Gara jisimiň spektry |
Vietnamese | All Tiếng Việt |  |  | Quang phổ của vật đen |

Translate this Sim

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Windows | Macintosh | Linux
--- | --- | ---
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8.1/10 Macromedia Flash 9 or later | OS X 10.9.5 or later Macromedia Flash 9 or later | Macromedia Flash 9 or later

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Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To
--- | --- | ---
Michael Dubson (developer/lead) Kathy Perkins Interviewer: Wendy Adams |  |