Question about black bodies, emissivity.

In summary, if a diamond sphere with a radius of 1 cm is traveling in space far from any heat sources and has a magic heater in its center that can produce 0.3 W for an indefinite amount of time, the sphere will reach an infinite temperature if its emissivity is zero. This is because, with zero emissivity, there is no way for heat energy to escape through radiation, causing the heat to continuously build up inside the diamond and reach infinity after an infinite amount of time. If the heat capacity of the diamond is finite, then the temperature at that time is also infinite since it is equal to the heat energy divided by the heat capacity.
  • #1
bulbasaur88
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Imagine a diamond sphere radius of 1 cm traveling in space far from any heat sources. Embedded in the center of the sphere is a magic heater that can produce 0.3 W for an indefinite amount of time.

If the emissivity of the surface is zero, what temperature does the sphere reach? Why?

The answer is infinite temperature. I don't understand this. If emissivity is zero, doesn't that mean the body doesn't emit OR absorb any heat? I would think that the answer is that it would not reach any temperature... Can somebody explain to me why it would be infinite temperature? Is it because the time factor?
 
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  • #2
I'm guessing that, because the emissivity is zero, there is no way for heat energy to escape from the diamond through radiation. So heat keeps building up indefinitely at a rate of 0.3 J per second inside the diamond, reaching infinity after an infinite amount of time. If the heat capacity of the diamond is finite, then the temperature at that time is infinite, since, (temperature) = (heat energy) / (heat capacity)
 

1. What is a black body?

A black body is an ideal object that absorbs all incoming radiation and emits radiation at all wavelengths. It is a theoretical concept used to explain the behavior of thermal radiation.

2. What is emissivity?

Emissivity is the measure of an object's ability to emit thermal radiation. It is a unitless value between 0 and 1, where 0 represents a perfectly reflective surface and 1 represents a perfect black body.

3. How does emissivity affect the temperature of a black body?

Emissivity plays a crucial role in determining the temperature of a black body. A black body will absorb all incoming radiation and emit an equal amount of thermal radiation at the same temperature. The higher the emissivity, the more efficient the object is at emitting radiation, resulting in a higher temperature.

4. Can emissivity vary for different wavelengths of radiation?

Yes, emissivity can vary for different wavelengths of radiation. This is because different materials have different properties that affect their ability to emit radiation at different wavelengths. For example, a material that is highly reflective in the visible spectrum may have a higher emissivity in the infrared spectrum.

5. How is emissivity measured?

Emissivity can be measured using specialized instruments, such as a spectrometer or an infrared camera. These instruments can measure the amount of thermal radiation emitted by an object at different wavelengths and calculate its emissivity. Emissivity can also be estimated using tables or charts based on the material's properties.

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