At What Temperature Does a Red Hot Surface Glow White Hot?

[rbnphlp]

Homework Statement

If a surface which glows red hot at 500C , calculate the approximte temperature at which it glows white hot, explaining your reasoning

Homework Equations

I have no idea .

The Attempt at a Solution

Must b something to do relating wavelength and temperature , like wein's law ..

Any ideas guys?

Thanks

 

[dynamicsolo]

That does seem like a rather vague problem statement, but they are just looking for an estimate. Think about the shape of the blackbody curve. At 500 C, only the "high-energy" end of the distribution has entered the "window" of the "visible" spectrum, so the surface appears dull red. Where might you shift the peak (in wavelength) so that it is roughly centered in that window? (That would give all of the visible wavelengths similar intensities within roughly a factor of 2 or 3.) About what temperature would Wien's Law say that occurs at?

Hint: this is the situation for stars that "look white".