As the temperature of an object becomes higher, what happens to the average wavelength of the radiation it emits?

The average wavelength of the radiation emitted by an object is inversely proportional to its temperature. This phenomenon is known as Wien's displacement law.

To understand how this relationship works, let's start with the basics of temperature and radiation. When an object is heated, its atoms and molecules gain energy, causing them to move more vigorously. This increased motion results in the emission of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light.

The emitted radiation consists of a range of wavelengths, with some being more prevalent than others. The average wavelength of this radiation is determined by the object's temperature. Specifically, the temperature affects the intensity or distribution of the emitted radiation at different wavelengths.

According to Wien's displacement law, as the temperature of an object increases, the average wavelength of the radiation it emits becomes shorter. This means that hotter objects emit more radiation towards the higher end of the electromagnetic spectrum, including ultraviolet and even X-ray radiation.

To calculate the average wavelength emitted by an object, you can use Wien's displacement law formula:

λ_avg = b / T

Where:
λ_avg is the average wavelength
b is Wien's displacement constant (approximately 2.898 × 10^(-3) meters·kelvin)
T is the absolute temperature of the object in Kelvin

By plugging in the temperature value in Kelvin, you can find the corresponding average wavelength of the emitted radiation. Keep in mind that this relationship only provides an average wavelength, and the actual emitted radiation will include a range of wavelengths.