Question

Compared with the peak wavelength given off by the Sun, what is the peak wavelength given off by a hotter star?

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Shorter in wavelength and higher in energy

Explanation:

The peak wavelength of a star can be found by using Wien's displacement law:

$\lambda=\frac{b}{T}$

where

b is the Wien's displacement constant

T is the surface temperature of the star

From the equation, we see that the peak wavelength $\lambda$ is inversely proportional to the temperature: therefore, a star which is hotter then the sun (greater T) will have shorter wavelength.

Moreover, the energy of the emitted radiation is inversely proportional to the wavelength:

$E=\frac{hc}{\lambda}$

where h is the Planck constant, c is the speed of light. Therefore, shorter wavelength means higher energy.

So, the correct answer is

A. Shorter in wavelength and higher in energy