White dwarf stars have been observed with a surface temperature as hot as 200,000 degree C. What is the wavelength of the maximum intensity produced by this star?
To find the wavelength of the maximum intensity produced by a white dwarf star with a surface temperature of 200,000 degrees Celsius, we can use Wien's displacement law. This law states that the wavelength of maximum intensity (λmax) is inversely proportional to the temperature of a black body radiator.
The formula for Wien's displacement law is:
λmax = (b / T),
where λmax is the wavelength of maximum intensity, b is Wien's displacement constant (approximately equal to 2.898 x 10^-3 meter-kelvin), and T is the temperature of the object in Kelvin.
First, let's convert the surface temperature from Celsius to Kelvin:
T (Kelvin) = 200,000 + 273.15 = 473,150 K.
Now we can use the formula to calculate the wavelength of maximum intensity:
λmax = (2.898 x 10^-3 meter-kelvin) / (473,150 K).
Calculating this equation will give us the value for λmax in meters.