A simple model of how the spectrum of an ideal thermal emitter changes with temperature.
Peak wavelength527 nm
Radiated power1.00×
Visible colourwarm white
StateRunning
Thermal glowShort wavelengthLong wavelength
What the model shows
The glowing object represents an ideal blackbody. Increasing temperature makes the total emitted power rise sharply and moves the peak toward shorter wavelengths.
Wien: λmax = b / T
Stefan–Boltzmann: P ∝ T⁴
How to read the spectrum
The horizontal axis is wavelength. The filled curve is the relative spectral intensity. The narrow vertical marker shows the wavelength of maximum emission.