Planck’s

Hypothesis Max Planck

Ankur Rastogi, Ph.D.

Office: SJT 710 A-2
Email: ankur.rastogi@vit.ac.in PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20
The electromagnetic spectrum is the term used to describe the entire range
of light that exists. From radio waves to gamma rays.
PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20
PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20
Origins of quantum mechanics
• Late 1800s:
– Maxwell’s equations describe propagation of EM waves in detail.
– Electricity and magnetism progress from basic science to
technological applications.
• Early 1900s:
— Further Investigations into light, and interaction of light with
matter, hint at some scary ideas
— Simultaneous with relativity
Black-body radiation spectrum
Photoelectric effect
energy is quantized in discrete units!
PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20
Quantum mechanics
• The quantum mechanical world is VERY different!
• Energy not continuous but can take on only particular discrete values.
• Light has particle-like properties, so that light can bounce off objects
just like balls.
• Particles also have wave-like properties, so that two particles can
interfere just like light does.
• Physics is not deterministic, but events occur with a probability
determined by quantum mechanics.

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

Stefan’s and Wien’s laws
Stefan’s Law:

The total radiancy emitted by a black body increases

very rapidly with temperature. It 1879 the following
empirical equation was found:
U(ν) = σT4
where σ = 5.6710-8W/m2K4 is called the Stefan-
Boltzmann constant.

Wien’s Displacement Law:

The maximum of the spectrum shifts to smaller wavelengths (or larger frequencies) as T increases, in a
linear fashion. This fact is called the Wien’s displacement law, first stated in 1893: νpeakT

Not only the amount of thermal radiation will increase with temperature, but also the color of a glowing
hot body will change, from red to blue-white. Wien’s law can also be put in the form:

λpeak T = 2.89810-3m K
PHY 1701,
PHY 1701,
Winter
Winter
semester
Sem.2018-19
2019-20
Black-body Radiation

2.9 × 10
=

Black Body

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

lpeak vs Temperature

2.9 x 10-3
T l peak = T

310oK 2.9 x 10-3

(Body temp) =9x10-6m
310
Infrared Light

Visible Light
5800K 2.9 x 10-3
(Sun’s surface) 58000 =0.5x10-6m

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

Radiation curve with Temperature:

Radiation Intensity

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

Rayleigh Jean’s or classical approach:
• A cavity is at absolute temperature T.
• The walls of the cavity are perfect reflectors and radiation
consist of standing electromagnetic waves.
• The condition for standing waves in such a cavity is that the
path length from wall to wall must be whole number of half-
wavelengths. So that the node occurs at each reflecting
surface.
• The average energy per standing wave; ̅ =
Standing waves which can be
• The density of standing waves in the cavity; fitted between two perfectly
8 reflecting walls forms a standing
ν ν= ν ν wave.
• Total energy per unit volume in the cavity within the
frequency interval from ν and ν + d ν is: ν ν = ν ν
8
ν ν= ν ν
PHY 1701,
PHY 1701,
Winter
Winter
semester
Sem.2018-19
2019-20
The Ultraviolet Catastrophe
Theory & experiment disagree wildly
Rayleigh Jean’s law
8
ν ν= ν ν

Spectral density u(ν)dν

• As the frequency increases (or wavelength
decreases) the spectral intensity of the
black body radiation should increase
indefinitely .
• Rayleigh-Jean’s law hold good only for the
black body curve at lower frequencies (or
higher wavelengths). But fails to explain
high frequency (wavelength) distribution
towards the UV region.
PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20
Planck’s Hypothesis:
Planck made two bold and controversial assumptions concerning the nature
of the oscillators in the cavity walls:

1. The energy of an oscillator can have only certain discrete values.

2. The oscillators emit or absorb energy when making a transition from one
quantum state to another. The entire energy difference between the
initial and final states in the transition is emitted or absorbed as a single
quantum of radiation. If the transition is from one state to a lower
adjacent state. 3h n=3
2h n=2
E

h n=1
0 n=0 PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20
Planck’s formulation:

• The oscillators in the cavity wall were limited to energies of E=nhν, where n= 1, 2….

ν
• Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution law to find the number of oscillators; ̅ = ν⁄

• The density of standing waves in the cavity; ν ν= ν ν

• Total energy per unit volume in the cavity within the frequency interval from ν and ν
+ d ν is: ν ν = ν ν

8 ℎν 1
ν ν= ν⁄ ν
−1

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

How quanta overcomes the UV catastrophe
Rayleigh Jean’s Planck’s

Avg. energy
Avg. energy ℎ
̅= ̅= ⁄ −1
Without quantum

With quantum correction

Low frequency,
high frequency,
large quantum,
Wavelength small quantum,
huge effects Negligible effects

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

Planck’s quantum is small for “ordinary-sized” objects but large for
atoms.
“ordinary”
pendulum Hydrogen atom
f = 1 Hz f  2x1014 Hz

Equant= hf

=(6.6x10-34Js)x(2x1014Hz)
Equant= hf =6.6x10-34Jsx1Hz
=(6.6 x 2) x 10-34+14J Same order as of
=6.6x10-34J the electron’s KE
very tiny =1.3 x 10-19J
PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20
Classical vs Quantum world
Classical Quantum
In everyday life, At atomic &
quantum effects subatomic scales,
can be safely quantum effects
ignored are dominant &
must be considered
This is because
Planck’s constant Laws of nature
is so small developed without
consideration of
quantum effects do
not work for atoms
PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20
Validation of Planck’s hypothesis:
8 ℎν 1
ν ν= ν⁄ ν
−1

For smaller frequencies hν << kBT

ν⁄ = , = ℎν⁄

=1+ + + +⋯≈1+
1! 2! 3!

ℎν ℎν
ν⁄ ≈ º
− 1 ℎν⁄

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

 Rayleigh Jean’s Law
Stefan’s Law

Planck’s Law
Wien’s Displacement Law
• Energy • Gave the • Classical • Quantum
radiated by correct approach to approach to
any body experimental formulate formulate the
• E =  T4 behavior of the of of blackbody
wavelength blackbody radiation
peak with radiation curve.
 = 5.67  10-8 temperature. curve
W.m-2.K-4 • Average
• lmax T = b • Average Energy =
Energy =
⁄
b = 2.89  10-3
m.K
8
=

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

Planck radiation formulas
Frequency:
8 ℎ
=
−1

8 ℎ 1
Wavelength: =
−1

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

Black-body Radiation Laws:

8
1. Rayleigh Jean’s law ( ) =

2. Planck’s law
8 ℎ 1
( ) =
−1
3. Wien’s displacement law = , = 2.898 10 .

4. Stefan-Boltzmann law = , = 5.67 10

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

Problem:
1. Estimate the wavelength and the intensity of radiation emitted
by a glowing tungsten filament whose surface temperature is
3300K. (Given k = 1.3807x10-23JK-1 and Stefan constant σ =
5.67x10-8 Wm-2 K4). If you make a light source from such
filament, do you think it will be an efficient source?

2. The temperature of a person skin is Tskin = 37 oC. Determine the

wavelength at which the radiation emitted from the skin
reaches its peak.

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20

3. Derive the form of the Planck radiation formula in the limit case:
(a) hc/λkBT ≪ 1 (large wavelengths);
(b) hc/λkBT ≫ 1 (small wavelengths). Interpret the results.

4. Derive Wien’s displacement law using Planck’s law.

5. Solved problem Arthur Beiser 2.2.

6. Exercise problem 1 and 2 from Arthur Beiser

PHY 1701, Winter Sem. 2019-20