Temperature of filament using its area, power, and emissivity

In summary: The ends of the filament will be the electrical connection into the circuit. They will leak a small amount of heat by conduction, perhaps more than would be lost by the same area through radiation, but you've no information on that.
  • #1
Fluxthroughme
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0
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I have entered the emissivity in the calculation so that we can treat it as a blackbody, allowing us to use [itex]I_{tot} = \sigma T^4[/itex]. My book tells me the correct answer is [itex]2.06*10^4[/itex], which I'd normally put down to a misprint, but if I use my value, I get a value for the next part which is a factor of 10 off. So either I'm wrong, or they followed through with an error of theirs?

Thanks for any help.
 
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  • #2
26 or 0.26 ?
 
  • #3
CWatters said:
26 or 0.26 ?

[itex]e = 0.26 = \frac{26}{100}[/itex]. Which is why there is a 26 on the bottom and a second 100 on the top.

Edit: If you don't understand why I have put e there, or why it's even in the calculation, I'd be fine if you could help me achieve the answer via a different method.
 
  • #4
Sorry that was the only possible error I could see.
 
  • #5
CWatters said:
Sorry that was the only possible error I could see.

Is this to say I should assume that the book has this answer wrong and, as a consequence, the other answer is wrong, too?

Either way, thank you :)
 
  • #6
Fwiw, a typical temperature for an incandescent light bulb would be around 3000K. At 20000K the tungsten would evaporate.
Btw, you didn't need to add a pi r squared term. The ends of the wire are not exposed.
 
  • #7
haruspex said:
Fwiw, a typical temperature for an incandescent light bulb would be around 3000K. At 20000K the tungsten would evaporate.
Btw, you didn't need to add a pi r squared term. The ends of the wire are not exposed.

Sorry, I don't understand why I don't need the pi r squared term? Isn't the fillament just a cylinder, so the radiations comes from the whole of the surface area?
 
  • #8
Won't make much difference either way as the area of the ends is small.
 
  • #9
Fluxthroughme said:
Sorry, I don't understand why I don't need the pi r squared term? Isn't the fillament just a cylinder, so the radiations comes from the whole of the surface area?
The ends of the filament will be the electrical connection into the circuit. They will leak a small amount of heat by conduction, perhaps more than would be lost by the same area through radiation, but you've no information on that.
 

1. How is the temperature of a filament determined using its area, power, and emissivity?

The temperature of a filament can be calculated using the Stefan-Boltzmann law, which states that the power emitted by a blackbody is proportional to its area and temperature raised to the fourth power. The equation for this is P = σεAT^4, where P is power, σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, ε is emissivity, A is area, and T is temperature.

2. What is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant and how is it used in calculating the temperature of a filament?

The Stefan-Boltzmann constant (σ) is a fundamental physical constant that relates the power emitted by a blackbody to its temperature. It is used in the equation P = σεAT^4 to calculate the temperature of a filament based on its area, power, and emissivity.

3. How does the emissivity of a filament affect its temperature?

Emissivity is a measure of how well a surface emits thermal radiation compared to a perfect blackbody. The higher the emissivity, the more energy is radiated from the surface, resulting in a higher temperature for the filament. A lower emissivity may result in a lower temperature for the filament.

4. Can the temperature of a filament be accurately calculated using only its area, power, and emissivity?

While the Stefan-Boltzmann law provides a simple equation for calculating the temperature of a filament using its area, power, and emissivity, there are other factors that can affect the accuracy of the calculation. These include heat loss due to conduction and convection, as well as the temperature of the surrounding environment. Therefore, the calculated temperature may not always be exact, but it can provide a good estimate.

5. How can the temperature of a filament be measured experimentally?

The temperature of a filament can be measured using a variety of methods, including thermocouples, infrared cameras, or simply touching the filament with a thermometer. However, it is important to note that the temperature measured may not be the same as the calculated temperature based on the area, power, and emissivity, as mentioned in the previous question. It is always recommended to use multiple methods to get a more accurate reading.

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