Which type of radiation is emitted by objects at temperatures of millions to tens of millions of degrees?

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Multiple Choice

Which type of radiation is emitted by objects at temperatures of millions to tens of millions of degrees?

Explanation:
When an object radiates due to its temperature, the peak of its spectrum shifts to shorter wavelengths as the temperature rises. For temperatures of millions to tens of millions of kelvin, the peak emission falls in the X-ray part of the spectrum. Using Wien’s displacement law, lambda_peak ~ 2.9×10^-3 m K / T, so at T ~ 1×10^7 K the peak is around 3×10^-10 m (0.3 nm), which is firmly in the X-ray range. That’s why such incredibly hot objects emit X-rays rather than infrared, visible light, or radio waves. Infrared comes from cooler objects, visible light from sun-like temperatures, and radio from even cooler or larger, lower-energy sources.

When an object radiates due to its temperature, the peak of its spectrum shifts to shorter wavelengths as the temperature rises. For temperatures of millions to tens of millions of kelvin, the peak emission falls in the X-ray part of the spectrum. Using Wien’s displacement law, lambda_peak ~ 2.9×10^-3 m K / T, so at T ~ 1×10^7 K the peak is around 3×10^-10 m (0.3 nm), which is firmly in the X-ray range. That’s why such incredibly hot objects emit X-rays rather than infrared, visible light, or radio waves. Infrared comes from cooler objects, visible light from sun-like temperatures, and radio from even cooler or larger, lower-energy sources.

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