Blackbody radiation is the radiation emitted by a perfect blackbody, i.e., a body which absorbs all radiation incident on it and reflects none. The primary law governing blackbody radiation is the Planck Radiation Law, which governs the intensity of radiation emitted by unit surface area into a fixed direction (solid angle) from the blackbody as a function of wavelength for a fixed temperature. The Planck Law can be expressed through the following equation
where λ is the wavelength, h is Planck’s constant, c is the speed of light, k is the Boltzmann constant, and T is the temperature.
In radiation physics, an ideal blackbody is a theoretical object that absorbs all the radiant energy falling upon it and emits it in the form of thermal radiation. Planck’s radiation law gives the power radiated by a unit area of blackbody, and the Stefan-Boltzman law expresses the total power radiated.
Streams of beta particles are known as beta ray or beta radiation. Beta rays may cause skin burns and are harmful within the body. A thin sheet of metal can afford protection to the skin.
Gamma radiation is electromagnetic radiation of extremely short wavelength. Gamma radiation ranges in energy from about 10-15 J to 10-10 J (10 keV to 10 MeV) (wavelength less than about 1 pm). Gamma rays are emitted by excited atomic nuclei during the process of passing to a lower excitation state.
Gamma rays are extremely penetrating and are absorbed by dense materials like lead and uranium. Exposure to gamma radiation may be lethal.
Infrared radiation is an electromagnetic radiation within the area from 1.0 μm to 300 μm, and is responsible for the transmission of radiant heat.
Human eye can only see electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths form 400 nm to 760 nm. This narrow part of electromagnetic spectrum is called visible radiation. Visible (white) light is a mixture of light of all kind of colours, it can be separated, with the help of a glass prism, into its component colours - visible light spectrum, and each colour corresponds to a certain area of wavelengths:
Colour | Wavelength / nm |
---|---|
purple | 400 - 450 |
blue | 450 - 500 |
green | 500 - 570 |
yellow | 570 - 590 |
orange | 590 - 620 |
red | 620 - 760 |
Wavelengths of electromagnetic waves can be shown with the help of electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Electromagnetic radiation spectrum is divided into several areas from γ-radiation of very short wavelengths and great energy to radio waves with wavelengths up to 1 000 m. The human eye can only see a narrow part of the electromagnetic spectrum - visible radiation.
Absorbance (A) is a logarithm of the ratio of incident radiant power (Po) to transmitted radiant power (P) through a sample (excluding the effects on cell walls).
The absorption of light by a substance in a solution can be described mathematically by the Beer-Lambert law
where A is the absorbance at a given wavelength of light, ε is the molar absorbtivity or extinction coefficient (L mol-1 cm-1), unique to each molecule and varying with wavelength, b is the length of light path through the sample (cm), and c is the concentration of the compound in solution (mol L-1).
For any ionising radiation, absorbed dose (D) is the mean energy imparted to an element of irradiated matter divided by the mass of that element.
Generalic, Eni. "Zračenje crnog tijela." Croatian-English Chemistry Dictionary & Glossary. 29 June 2022. KTF-Split. 26 Apr. 2025. <https://glossary.periodni.com>.
Glossary
Periodic Table