1. Wien's Displacement Law:
Wien's Displacement Law relates the peak wavelength of blackbody radiation to its temperature:
* λmax * T = b
Where:
* λmax is the peak wavelength in meters
* T is the temperature in Kelvin
* b is Wien's displacement constant (approximately 2.898 x 10-3 m·K)
2. Calculate Peak Wavelength:
* Rearrange the equation to solve for λmax:
* λmax = b / T
* Substitute the values:
* λmax = (2.898 x 10-3 m·K) / 7240 K
* λmax ≈ 4.00 x 10-7 meters
3. Convert to Nanometers:
* Since wavelengths are often expressed in nanometers (nm), convert the result:
* λmax ≈ 400 nm
4. Determine Color:
* 400 nm falls within the violet range of the visible spectrum.
Important Note: While the peak wavelength is in the violet range, F-type stars appear white-blue to the human eye. This is because their light output spans a broader range of wavelengths, with a significant contribution from the blue part of the spectrum.