Solved: Sirius B. The brightest star in the sky is Sirius, | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Sears and Zemansky's University Physics with Modern Physics

Chapter 39 Problem 46E

Question

Sirius B. The brightest star in the sky is Sirius, the Dog Star. It is actually a binary system of two stars, the smaller one (Sirius B) being a white dwarf. Spectral analysis of Sirius B indicates that its surface temperature is 24,000 K and that it radiates energy at a total rate of \(1.0\times 10^{25} \mathrm{\ W}\). Assume that it behaves like an ideal blackbody.

(a) What is the total radiated intensity of Sirius B?

(b) What is the peak-intensity wavelength? Is this wavelength visible to humans?

(c) What is the radius of Sirius B? Express your answer in kilometers and as a fraction of our sun’s radius.

(d) Which star radiates more total energy per second, the hot Sirius B or the (relatively) cool sun with a surface temperature of 5800 K? To find out, calculate the ratio of the total power radiated by our sun to the power radiated by Sirius B.

Solution

Step 1 of 5

Temperature of Sirius  

Power of emission of Sirius

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full solution

Title Sears and Zemansky's University Physics with Modern Physics 13 
Author Hugh D. Young; Roger A. Freedman; A. Lewis Ford
ISBN 9780321696861

Solved: Sirius B. The brightest star in the sky is Sirius,

Chapter 39 textbook questions

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