Here comes the heat
Electricity and Magnetism
Level
2
Some materials have a property that allows them to emit radiation after being heated. Why?
The radiation energy previously absorbed from a source is re-emitted upon heating
These materials have higher thermal conductivity and therefore emit enough radiation to be visible
The heated bodies emit a radiation called black-body radiation
Inner radioactivity releases energy thanks to the heating and allows luminescence
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1 solution
Thermoluminescence is the property that matter has to re-emit light upon heating. In certain crystals, electrons previously excited by electromagnetic radiation can be trapped in the crystal imperfections. Upon heating at a certain temperature, these traps get emptied because electrons have enough energy to escape. They can interact with parts of the crystal; the energy lost in the process is transferred into light.
The number of electrons trapped depends on the environment the crystal was in and time. Therefore, thermoluminescence can be used for dating.