The temperature of your skin is approximately 35C degrees. What is the wavelength at which the peak occurs in the radiation emitted from your skin?
Well, I must say, my skin is as smooth as a baby's bottom, but it's not emitting any radiation at the moment! However, the wavelength at which the peak occurs in the radiation emitted from a black body, which your skin can be considered as, is given by Wien's displacement law. According to that, the wavelength of peak radiation is inversely proportional to the temperature. So, since the temperature of your skin is approximately 35°C, I'm afraid the wavelength of the peak radiation would be inversely proportional to the temperature, making it incredibly long! We're talking microwave territory here, my friend. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy your hot cup of tea while your skin emits some toasty microwaves.
To determine the wavelength at which the peak occurs in the radiation emitted from your skin, we can use Wien's displacement law.
Wien's displacement law states that the peak wavelength of radiation emitted by an object is inversely proportional to its temperature. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
λmax = b / T
Where λmax is the peak wavelength, b is Wien's displacement constant (approximately 2.898 x 10^-3 m·K), and T is the temperature in Kelvin.
To convert the temperature from Celsius to Kelvin, we add 273.15:
T = 35 + 273.15 = 308.15 K
Now we can substitute the values into the equation:
λmax = 2.898 x 10^-3 m·K / 308.15 K
Calculating the result:
λmax ≈ 9.4 x 10^-6 meters
Therefore, the wavelength at which the peak occurs in the radiation emitted from your skin is approximately 9.4 micrometers (µm).