Understanding Plank's Law of Black Body Radiation

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SUMMARY

Plank's Law describes black body radiation and is derived from first principles, challenging the conventional understanding of the term "law" in physics. The discussion highlights that the designation of "law" does not necessarily indicate the fundamental nature or validity of a concept, as seen in the comparison of Newton's laws of motion and Ohm's Law. The terminology used in physics is largely a matter of historical tradition rather than a reflection of certainty or importance.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of black body radiation principles
  • Familiarity with Plank's Law and its derivation
  • Basic knowledge of classical mechanics and electromagnetism
  • Awareness of the historical context of scientific terminology
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the derivation of Plank's Law from first principles
  • Explore the implications of black body radiation in modern physics
  • Study the differences between scientific laws and theories
  • Investigate the historical evolution of terminology in physics
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, students of physics, and anyone interested in the foundational concepts of thermodynamics and the historical context of scientific terminology.

Zman
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Plank’s Law which descibes black body radiation is derived from first principles so I am not quite sure why it is called a Law.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plank_law"
 
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There are other things to worry about rather than about a label we give to something. The term "law" does not give any implication about the degree of validity of something, i.e. a "theory" doesn't graduate to become a "law" upon a certain level of certainty.

Zz.
 
Also, calling something a "law" in physics doesn't imply anything about how fundamental it is. Newton's laws of motion are certainly fundamental in classical mechanics, but Ohm's Law is not fundamental in electromagnetism, nor is Newton's law of cooling fundamental in thermodynamics.

The names that we give to equations and concepts are basically a matter of historical tradition.
 

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