How do the colours of stars and the temperature of the gases on the surface of these stars relate to a candle flame?
2007-01-28 19:53:22 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Based on the wavelengths of colors received from the light of a star, the observer can figure out what it's made of. I think it was Newton that figured this out by using a candle flame.
2007-01-28 20:52:33 · answer #1 · answered by nonono 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hotter flames tend to produce colors of smaller wavelengths (ie a blue flame is much hotter than a red one). By the same token, the color of a star with a very hot surface will be of a shorter wavelength (closer to blue) than one with a cooler surface.
Keep in mind that the temperature of the surface of a star doesn't necessarily corrolate directly with the amount of energy a star is putting out. A star that puts out many times more energy than our sun can have a red (cooler) surface if it is very large, like a red supergiant.
2007-01-28 20:24:15 · answer #2 · answered by Arkalius 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm sure that the color our sun is the color of the stars ,the temp of the gases & the candle related since the same phenomenon carries in both ,the energy in the candle is due to the burning of wax ,where as in the stars it is due to the reaction of helium & some nuclear fusions
2007-01-28 22:08:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋