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SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISE 15
The approximate surface/cloudtop temperatures for these objects give the thermal radiation peak from Wien's Law, expressed here in units of nanometers and Kelvin: Lambda * Temperature = 2.9 * 10^6 nm K For Mercury, T = 400 K so Lambda = 2.9 * 10^6 / 400 = 7250 nm For Venus, T = 750 K " 2.9 * 10^6 / 750 = 3870 nm For Earth, T = 290 K " 2.9 * 10^6 / 290 = 10000 nm For Mars, T = 250 K " 2.9 * 10^6 / 250 = 11600 nm For Jupiter, T = 170 K " 2.9 * 10^6 / 170 = 17100 nm For Saturn, T = 150 K " 2.9 * 10^6 / 150 = 19300 nm For Uranus, T = 78 K " 2.9 * 10^6 / 78 = 37200 nm For Neptune, T = 69 K " 2.9 * 10^6 / 69 = 42000 nm For Pluto, T = 40 K " 2.9 * 10^6 / 40 = 72500 nm For a comet, the temperature varies with distance from the Sun; at about one AU, a comet is typically about 100 K, so Lambda = 2.9 * 10^6 / 100 = 29000 nm For an incandescent light bulb with a tungsten filament, the typical temperature is about 2500 C, or about 2800 K. so Lambda = 2.9 * 10^6 / 2800 = 1040 nm None of these objects has a peak wavelength between 300 nm and 700 nm, the nominal range of visible light. Only the light bulb filament is even close. |