Rigel and Its Energetic Light

What is the wavelength at which Rigel gives off the most energy?

Given that Rigel is a star with a temperature of roughly 12000 Kelvin, at what wavelenght does Rigel give off the most energy?

Answer:

Rigel gives off the most energy at a wavelength of approximately 2.415 × 10^-7 meters. According to Wien's Law, the wavelength at which a blackbody radiates the most energy is inversely proportional to its temperature.

Exploring Rigel's Energetic Light

Rigel, a star with a temperature of 12000 Kelvin, emits its most intense energy at a specific wavelength. This phenomenon can be explained by Wien's Law, a principle that correlates the temperature of an object with the wavelength of maximum energy radiation.

Wien's Law is given by the equation:

λ(max) = b/T

Where λ(max) is the wavelength at which the maximum energy is emitted, T is the temperature of the object, and b is the Wien's Law displacement constant, equal to 2.898 × 10^-3 m·K.

By plugging in the temperature of Rigel into the equation, we can calculate the wavelength at which it emits the most energy:

λ(max) = (2.898 × 10^-3 m·K) / (12000 K)

λ(max) ≈ 2.415 × 10^-7 meters

Therefore, Rigel gives off the most energy at a wavelength of approximately 2.415 × 10^-7 meters, which corresponds to the blue part of the visible spectrum. This showcases the intense and energetic nature of Rigel's light emissions.