By means of Langley's bolometer the distribution of energy in the
spectrum has been measured accurately, with the results of confirming
and amplifying the general results just stated. The energy in the
spectrum of even the hottest of terrestrial radiators is mostly in the
longer waves of the infra-red, but the position of the maximum of
energy moves to shorter and shorter wave-lengths as the temperature
rises, and so more of the shorter waves make their appearance. The sun
is not a full radiator, but is nearly so, and its temperature is so
high that the maximum of energy in its spectrum is in the visible part
near to the red end.
{50}
Fig. 23 shows the results obtained by Lummer and Pringsheim, and brings
out clearly the shift of the maximum with rising temperature and also
the position of the greatest part of the energy in the infrared region.
+Wien's Laws.+--Examination of the results also shows that the
wave-length at which the maximum energy occurs is inversely
proportional to the absolute temperature and that the actual energy at
the maximum point is proportional to the fifth power of the absolute
temperature. These two results have both been derived theoretically by
Wien[2] in a similar way to that in which Boltzmann derived Stefan's
fourth power law, _i.e._ by imagining a space filled with the radiation
to be taken through a cycle of compressions and rarefactions.
[2] _Wied. Ann._, 46, p. 633; 52, p. 132.
Wien derived an amplification of the last result by showing that if a
wave-length in the spectrum of a full radiator at one temperature and
another wave-length in the spectrum at another temperature are so
related as to be inversely proportional to the two absolute
temperatures, they may be said to correspond to each other, and the
energy in corresponding wave-lengths at different temperatures is
proportional to the fifth power of the absolute temperature.
We see therefore that if the distribution of energy in the spectrum of
the full radiator be known at any one temperature it may be calculated
for any other temperature by applying these two laws of corresponding
wave-lengths and the energy in them.
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