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The ultraviolet catastrophe, also called the Rayleigh–Jeans catastrophe, was the prediction of late 19th century to early 20th century classical physics that an ideal black body at thermal equilibrium would emit an unbounded quantity of energy as wavelength decreased into the ultraviolet range.
Nov 24, 2022 · The ultraviolet (UV) catastrophe, also called the Rayleigh–Jeans catastrophe, is the prediction of classical electromagnetism that the intensity of the radiation emitted by an ideal black body at thermal equilibrium goes to infinity as wavelength decreases (see figure \(\PageIndex{1}\) )\(^1\).
May 22, 2019 · The ultraviolet catastrophe is the error in the classical physics prediction of blackbody radiation at high frequencies. It was solved by Planck's quantum hypothesis and Einstein's photon theory. Learn more about blackbody radiation, emissivity, and references.
The German physicist Max Planck (1858 – 1947) was able to solve the ultraviolet catastrophe through what, at least at first, he saw as a mathematical trick. This trick, which marked the birth of quantum physics, also led to Planck being awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918.
Although the Rayleigh-Jeans law works for higher wavelengths \(\lambda\), it diverges as \(\lambda\) become low in value; this divergence for high frequencies is called the ultraviolet catastrophe.
Learn how a blackbody emits radiation of different wavelengths and colors depending on its temperature. Find out how Planck and Einstein solved the ultraviolet catastrophe by introducing the concept of quanta.
Learn how the ultraviolet catastrophe was a paradox that challenged classical physics and led to the discovery of energy quantization by Planck. Explore the concept of blackbody radiation and its spectral distribution curves for different temperatures.
