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Ultraviolet Catastrophe and Plancks Law

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Explain the ultraviolet catastrophe and how Planck's law resolved it.

The ultraviolet catastrophe was a problem in classical physics related to the prediction of electromagnetic radiation from a black body at various frequencies. Classical physics, using Rayleigh-Jeans law, predicted that the radiation intensity would increase without bound as the frequency increased, particularly in the ultraviolet region. This prediction was clearly inaccurate, as it did not match experimental results, which showed that the intensity of radiation at higher frequencies dropped significantly. This discrepancy between classical predictions and experimental observations is what came to be known as the ultraviolet catastrophe.

Max Planck resolved this issue by introducing the concept of quantized energy levels. Planck proposed that energy is not continuous but comes in discrete packets called quanta. By doing so, he formulated Planck's law, which accurately described the black body radiation spectrum, including the drop-off at higher frequencies. This was a significant shift from classical to quantum thinking, as it introduced the idea that energy levels are quantized rather than continuous. Planck's law laid the groundwork for the development of quantum mechanics and helped to bridge the gap between theoretical predictions and experimental observations, thereby addressing the issues raised by the ultraviolet catastrophe.

Posted by Gregory 36 minutes ago

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