black body

views updated May 18 2018

black body In physics, an ideal body that absorbs all incident radiation and reflects none. Such a body would look ‘perfectly’ black. Wien's law, Stefan's law, and Planck's law of black body radiation grew out of this study, as did Planck's discoveries in quantum mechanics.

black body

views updated May 08 2018

black body A body which absorbs electro-magnetic energy perfectly. If the body remains at constant temperature then it also radiates electromagnetic radiation perfectly in equilibrium with that which it absorbs. See also STEFAN-BOLTZMANN LAW.