ENGINEERING PHYSICS

Department of Science and Humanities

A numerical to review the whole concept of EM waves
The electric field associated with an EM radiation (light) is given by,
𝑬 𝒙, 𝒕 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝝎𝒕 − 𝝅𝒙𝟑𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝒛)
Evaluate
1. Speed of the Electric vector
2. Wavelength
3. Frequency
4. Period of the wave
5. Magnetic field associated with the wave
6. Direction of propagation of the magnetic transverse wave
7. Amplitude of the electric field vector
8. Amplitude and direction of the transverse magnetic wave
9. Peak energy of the electric wave
10. Average energy of the EM wave
11. What are the expected changes in the above parameters if the electric wave
vector changes to 𝑬 𝐱, 𝒕 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝐬𝐢𝐧 (𝝎𝒕 − 𝝅. 𝟑𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝒛)
12. What are the expected changes if the electric wave vector changes to
𝑬 𝒚, 𝒕 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝐬𝐢𝐧 (𝝎𝒕 − 𝝅. 𝟑𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝐱)
ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation

Class #4
• Overview of failure of EM wave theory
• Black body radiation
• Cavity Oscillators
• Classical estimation of energy density
• Max Planck’s estimation of energy density
 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Overview of failure of classical EM wave theory

EM Radiation (e.g. Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light,

ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma radiation) - Described as mutually
perpendicular sinusoidal electric and magnetic fields and
perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the waves

Classical wave theory - Assumed that energy content of the wave is

proportional to the square of the amplitude of the waves
(wavelength/frequency independence on energy!)

Wave theory successfully explains the phenomena of reflection,

refraction, interference, diffraction and polarization of light
 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Overview of failure of classical EM wave theory

Classical wave theory could not explain many observed

phenomena

1. Photo-electric Effect
2. Spectrum of Hydrogen Emissions (Atomic Spectra)
3. Black-Body Radiation Spectrum
4. Compton Scattering

Resulted in the birth and rise of Quantum Mechanics!

Our focus: Black-Body Radiation and Compton Scattering

 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation
Classically the interaction of radiation with matter (by absorption and
emission) gives the color of the material

Gustav Robert Kirchhoff found materials which absorb all incident rays
Such a material on heating would emit all wavelengths of radiation
absorbed
Black-body (not necessarily black!)

• Absorbs all radiations falling on it

• Emits all wavelengths (frequencies) as it absorbed
• Emissivity is unity
 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation spectrum
▪ Radiation depends only on the temperature of the object, and not on
what it is made of (material independent)
▪ all emit the same blackbody spectrum if their temperatures are the
same
▪ As the temperature increases, emits more energy (Area under curve)
▪ As the temperature of object increases, the peak wavelength
becomes shorter (higher frequency)
(Blue stars are hotter than red stars!)
ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation spectrum

Radiation depends only on the

temperature of the object, and not on
what it is made of (a metal block, a
ceramic vase, and a piece of charcoal, etc.
all emit the same blackbody spectrum if
their temperatures are the same.)
ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation spectrum (Frequency vs intensity)
Blackbody Radiation – Interesting reality!

Related to Our experience on seeing objects- interaction of light

with objects, color of objects, color of emitting objects (sun, lava,
metal bar, star, etc)

Generally, any object with a temperature above absolute zero emits

light.
(Human Body in the IR region!)

If the object is perfectly black (it doesn't reflect any light), then the
light that comes from it is called blackbody radiation.

The energy of blackbody radiation is not shared evenly by all

wavelengths of light.
 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body model (Cavity oscillators)
▪ Practically modeled as a cavity - not allowing any incident radiation
to escape due to multiple reflections inside
▪ This cavity when heated, emit radiation of every possible
frequency and rate of emission increases with temperature

Multiple reflections of EM energy inside the

cavity

Image courtesy: https://chem.libretexts.org

ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation spectrum

How to understand this spectrum?

Analysis by Rayleigh-Jeans
To study the energy density of radiation,
𝝆 𝝂 𝒅𝝂 = 𝑬 𝒅𝑵 , between 𝝂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝝂 + 𝜹𝝂
 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Classical estimation of energy density
Analysis by Rayleigh-Jeans
To understand the energy density of radiation - Assuming black-body
as cavity oscillators (trapped oscillations of EM energy)

The number of oscillators with

frequencies between 𝝂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝝂 + 𝜹𝝂
𝟖𝝅 𝟐
is calculated as 𝒅𝑵 = 𝝂 𝒅𝝂
𝒄𝟑

Rayleigh and Jeans showed that the

number of modes was proportional to 𝝂𝟐
ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Classical estimation of energy density

Rayleigh and Jeans considered the average energy of the

oscillators as per Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution law
𝐚𝐬 𝑬 = 𝒌𝑩 𝑻
Thus, expression for the energy density (energy per unit
volume) of radiations with frequencies between 𝝂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝝂 +
𝜹𝝂 as
𝟖𝝅 𝟐
𝝆 𝝂 𝒅𝝂 = 𝑬 𝒅𝑵 = 𝟑 𝝂 𝒅𝝂𝑘𝐵 𝑇
𝒄
This is the Rayleigh Jeans law which is in contradiction with
the experimental observations
 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Failure of Rayleigh-Jeans’ law
Treating EM waves as classical oscillators failed to explain the experimental
observations
(intensity of radiations were found decrease with increase in frequency -
termed as ultra-violet catastrophe)

Failure in high frequency region (shorter wavelength)

Image courtesy: hyperphysics

 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Max Planck’s analysis – Quantum theory of radiation
Solution to the failure of classical approach!
Max Planck (quantum theory of radiation, 1900)

• This theory proposed that the energy of the oscillator model of a black body
(cavity oscillator) are restricted to multiples of a fundamental natural
frequency 𝝂 times a constant (𝒉 = 𝟔. 𝟔𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑𝟒 𝑱𝒔) ie.,𝑬 = 𝒏𝒉𝝂
• Thus black body radiations are from a collection of harmonic oscillators of
different frequencies and the energy of the radiations has to be packets
of 𝒉𝝂
• With this concept, the average energy of the oscillators were
−𝒉𝒗ൗ
𝒉𝝂∗𝒆 𝒌𝑻 𝒉𝝂
evaluated as, 𝑬 = −𝒉𝒗ൗ = 𝒉𝒗
𝟏− 𝒆 𝒌𝑻 𝒆 ൗ𝒌𝑻 −𝟏
 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Max Planck’s analysis – Quantum theory of radiation

• Thus, the energy density of radiations

𝝆 𝝂 𝒅𝝂 = 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒙 𝑨𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚
𝟖𝝅 𝟐 𝒉𝝂 𝟖𝝅𝒉𝝂𝟑 𝟏
𝑬 𝒅𝑵 = 𝟑 𝝂 𝒅𝝂 𝒉𝒗 = 𝟑 𝒉𝒗
𝒅𝝂
𝒄 𝒆 ൗ𝒌𝑻 − 𝟏 𝒄 𝒆 ൗ𝒌𝑻 − 𝟏
• Intensity decrease at higher frequencies (smaller wavelengths - UV
catastrophe) since the excitation of the oscillators to the higher energy states
is less probable at lower temperatures
• At higher temperatures the thermal energy 𝒌𝑻 enables oscillations at higher
frequency 𝑛𝝂
• Planck’s expression gives excellent co-relation with experimental results
• The foundation stone- for era of quantum physics!
 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation : Summary of classical & quantum

Image courtesy: hyperphysics

 ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation : Summary of classical & quantum

Image courtesy: hyperphysics

ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Black-body radiation : Points of Relevance

The trademark of modern physics - Planck's constant, h = 6.63x10-34 Js

The failure of classical physics to explain blackbody radiation, the

photoelectric effect, and the atomic spectra demolished the
foundations of classical physics.

Planck's constant is very tiny, only about 6 x 10-34, so in our everyday

world, quantum effects makes difference in the 34th decimal place

Large objects obey Newton's laws (the average behavior of their

component atoms)
ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Class 4 . Quiz …

The black body radiation concepts which are correct …

1. Rayleigh and Jeans could explain the radiation curves for
the higher wavelengths and not the lower wave lengths
2. Classically the average energy of the oscillators cannot be
found
3. Max Planck suggested that the average energy of oscillators
have to evaluated using a summation of energies and
probabilities
ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Class 4 . Numerical …
The frequency of harmonic oscillator at 50oc is 6.2x1012 per sec.
Estimate the average energy of the oscillator as per Planck's
idea of cavity oscillator, also compare the same with classical
average energy and average energy by R-J law.

1. Average energy of the oscillator as per Planck's

idea −34
𝒉𝝂
𝒉 = 6.63𝒙10
𝑬 = 𝒉𝒗ൗ k = 1.38 x 10 -23
𝒆 𝒌𝑻 −𝟏 B
2. Average energy of the oscillator as per Classical analysis
𝑬 = 𝒌𝑩 𝑻
3. Partially successful classical analysis is R-J law
𝑬 = 𝒌𝑩 𝑻
ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Conceptual Questions
Draw a plot of the black body spectrum, list the observations
and explain how a theoretical model could explain the same.

Explain the significance of Poynting vector for EM waves.

Explain the features of quantum theory of radiation.

THANK YOU

Muhammad Faisal, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Science and Humanities

[email protected]
+91 80 50829629