Kirchhoff Law

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Kirchhoff Law

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The radiation law which states that at a given temperature the ratio of the emissivity to the absorptivity for a given wavelength is the same for all bodies and is equal to the emissivity of an ideal black body at that temperature and wavelength. </dd>
Loosely put, this important law asserts that good absorbers of a given wavelength are also good emitters of that wavelength. It is essential to note that the Kirchhoff law relates absorption and emission at the same wavelength and at the same temperature. Also called Kirchhoff radiation law. </dd>

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use