Question

question 17 of 28
the moon shines white light on earth. is the moon a good blackbody
radiator? why?
a. no, because the moon reflects most of the suns light rather than
absorbing it
b. yes, because the light from the moon comes from the sun, which
is a blackbody radiator
c. no, because white light is only one wavelength of light, not a range
of wavelengths
d. yes, because each night the moon warms up enough to emit
visible light at a range of wavelengths

Explanation:

A blackbody radiator absorbs all incident radiation and emits radiation based on its own temperature. The Moon shines because it reflects sunlight. It does not emit light as a result of being a blackbody radiator (absorbing and then re - emitting based on its internal thermal state). Option B is incorrect because the source of the light (the Sun being a blackbody) does not make the Moon a blackbody. White light is a combination of many wavelengths (so option C is wrong). The Moon does not warm up enough to emit visible light as a blackbody (option D is wrong).

Answer:

A. No, because the Moon reflects most of the Sun's light rather than absorbing it