Incandescence and electronic excitation

In summary, incandescence is a phenomenon that can occur in a wide variety of materials, regardless of their conductivity. This effect is related to electronic excitation, which occurs when thermal energy is spread out into all non-frozen degrees of freedom. Even in insulators, there is a probability of electronic excitation at high enough temperatures, leading to the object emitting light.
  • #1
hokhani
483
8
As far as I experienced, incandescence happens in a wide variety of materials no matter what a substance (conductor, insulator and so on) is. Does this effect is related to the electronic excitation? Could anyone please explain the reason of this effect?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
At equilibrium, the thermal energy is spread out into all degrees of freedom that are not "frozen" (i.e., for which there is enough energy to lead to a significant population of the excited states). For high enough T, that includes electronics degrees of freedom. In the solid state, electronic states usually constitute continua, such that emission is over a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

You should look up blackbody radiation.
 
  • #3
DrClaude said:
At equilibrium, the thermal energy is spread out into all degrees of freedom that are not "frozen" (i.e., for which there is enough energy to lead to a significant population of the excited states). For high enough T, that includes electronics degrees of freedom.
In an ideal insulator electrons can not pass the large gap by thermal energy and so there is no electron excitation. How does an insulator show this effect?
 
  • #4
States are populated with a probability proportional to ##e^{-E/kT}##. There is always some thermal electronic excitation, even though it can be neglected in most cases. But there is always a point where the temperature is high enough that it is not negligible anymore, and the object will glow.
 

What is incandescence?

Incandescence is the emission of light from a heated object, usually due to its high temperature. This phenomenon occurs when the object's temperature is high enough to cause its atoms to vibrate and emit photons, which make up the visible light spectrum.

What is electronic excitation?

Electronic excitation is the process of an electron in an atom or molecule absorbing energy, typically through collisions with other particles or exposure to electromagnetic radiation. This causes the electron to move to a higher energy level, resulting in a temporary imbalance in the atom or molecule's electronic structure.

How are incandescence and electronic excitation related?

Incandescence and electronic excitation are both processes that involve the emission of light. In incandescence, the light emission is due to the high temperature of the object, while in electronic excitation, it is due to the absorption of energy by an electron. However, in both cases, the emission of light occurs due to changes in the energy levels of atoms or molecules.

What are some examples of incandescent objects?

Examples of incandescent objects include light bulbs, candles, and stars. These objects emit visible light due to their high temperatures, which cause them to glow. Other examples include lava, heated metals, and fire.

How do scientists study incandescence and electronic excitation?

Scientists study incandescence and electronic excitation through various experimental techniques such as spectroscopy, which allows them to analyze the emission of light from a heated object or an excited electron. They also use theoretical models and simulations to understand the underlying mechanisms and properties of these processes.

Similar threads

  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
22
Views
5K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
0
Views
816
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
7
Views
862
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
7
Views
1K
Back
Top