Compared with the peak wavelength given off by the sun, what is the peak wavelength given off by a hotter star?
a. shorter in wavelength and higher in energy
b. shorter in wavelength and lower in energy
c. longer in wavelength and higher in energy
d. longer in wavelength and lower in energy

A. Shorter in wavelength and higher in energy

Explanation:

The peak wavelength of a star can be found by using Wien's displacement law:

where

b is the Wien's displacement constant

T is the surface temperature of the star

From the equation, we see that the peak wavelength is inversely proportional to the temperature: therefore, a star which is hotter then the sun (greater T) will have shorter wavelength.

Moreover, the energy of the emitted radiation is inversely proportional to the wavelength:

where h is the Planck constant, c is the speed of light. Therefore, shorter wavelength means higher energy.

So, the correct answer is

A. Shorter in wavelength and higher in energy

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