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Stefan–Boltzmann Law?
Plain English (default view) — short, conversational, lightly seasoned with science
How brightly something glows depends on its temperature **to the fourth power** — meaning a small temp jump produces a *huge* brightness jump. - **Double** the temperature → **16×** the radiation. - **Triple** it → **81×**. That's why a campfire feels exponentially warmer than warm tea, and why thermal satellite sensors can detect 1°C differences across a landscape — the signal isn't subtle once you know to look at the right wavelength.
🔬 Scientific / formula (revealed on click) — markdown + $$…$$ ok
`M_λ = σ · T⁴` — total emitted power per m² from a **blackbody**. - **σ = 5.6697 × 10⁻⁸ W/(m²·K⁴)** - T in Kelvin - Real objects: `ε · σ · T⁴` (ε = emissivity) - Emitted energy scales with **T⁴** — why thermal sensors are so sensitive.
💡 Mnemonic / memory aid (shown on hover)
SB = Super Boost. T to the FOURTH — double the temp, 16× the energy. That's why a 300 K Earth emits radiation at all.
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