black body radiator

Definition: Theoretical object that absorbs energy of all wavelengths but radiates energy only as function of its temperature. * Near-perfect substitutes, e.g. carbon or platinum spheres with a small hole drilled in them, are used to correlate their temperature with dominant wavelength or colour of light emitted from the hole, thus giving measurement of colour temperature. * Its emissivity equals 1.

Related Terms: colour temperature

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