A hypothetic body that completely absorbs all wavelengths of thermal radiation incident on it. Such bodies do not reflect light, and therefore appear black if their temperatures are low enough so as not to be self-luminous. All blackbodies heated to a given temperature emit thermal radiation with the same spectrum, as required by arguments of classical physics involving thermal equilibrium. However, the distribution of blackbody radiation as a function of wavelength, known as the Planck law, cannot be predicted using classical physics. This fact was the first motivating force behind the development of quantum mechanics.
Planck Law, Blackbody Radiation, Blackbody Temperature
References
Eisberg, R. and Resnick, R. "Thermal Radiation." §1-2 in Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei, and Particles, 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, pp. 2-6, 1985.
