Question

The sun is the only star whose size we can easily measure directly; astronomers therefore estimate the sizes of other stars using Stefan's law. The spectrum of Sirius A, plotted as a function of energy, peaks at a photon energy of 2.4 eV, while Sirius A is approximately 24 times as luminous as the sun. How does the radius of Sirius A compare to the sun's radius?

Name: the sun is the only star whose size we can easily measure directly astronomers therefore estimate the sizes of other stars using stefans law the spectrum of sirius a plotted as a function of 09115
Uploaded: 2023-09-11T01:36:54-08:00
Duration: 1 min 39 s
Channel: Timothy James
Description: the sun is the only star whose size we can easily measure directly astronomers therefore estimate the sizes of other stars using stefans law the spectrum of sirius a plotted as a function of 09115

          The sun is the only star whose size we can easily measure directly; astronomers therefore estimate the sizes of other stars using Stefan's law.
The spectrum of Sirius A, plotted as a function of energy, peaks at a photon energy of 2.4 eV, while Sirius A is approximately 24 times as luminous as the sun. How does the radius of Sirius A compare to the sun's radius?

Added by Jose Angel H.

University Physics with Modern Physics

Hugh D. Young 14th Edition

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Timothy James

09/11/2023

Step 1

We know that the peak wavelength of a star's spectrum is related to its temperature through Wien's Law: $$\lambda_{max} = \frac{b}{T}$$ where $\lambda_{max}$ is the peak wavelength, $b$ is Wien's constant ($2.898 \times 10^{-3} \, m \cdot K$), and $T$ is the Show more…

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The sun is the only star whose size we can easily measure directly; astronomers therefore estimate the sizes of other stars using Stefan's law. The spectrum of Sirius A, plotted as a function of energy, peaks at a photon energy of 2.4 eV, while Sirius A is approximately 24 times as luminous as the sun. How does the radius of Sirius A compare to the sun's radius?