In the revolution that overtook physics around 1900, the assumption that Planck made in order to solve the problem concerning the spectrum of radiation emitted by a hot blackbody was that radiation was
A) emitted as continuous waves whose wavelength was inversely proportional to the temperature of the object.
B) emitted in small, discrete packets or quanta of energy whose individual energies were inversely proportional to the wavelength of the light.
C) emitted in small, discrete packets or quanta of energy, each quantum having an energy directly proportional to the wavelength of the light.
D) made up of small, discrete packets or quanta of energy whose individual energies were all the same, independent of wavelength.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Max Planck proposed that electromagnetic energy could only be emitted or absorbed in discrete packets, known as quanta, with energy directly proportional to the frequency of radiation, not inversely proportional to the wavelength as stated in C. This was a fundamental shift from the classical view of energy as a continuous wave, making choice B correct.

In the Revolution That Overtook Physics Around 1900, the Assumption