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CONTRASTING THE PLANCK AND RAYLEIGH JEANS RADIATION MODELS, A HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

A commonly held misconception is that Planck introduced his model for blackbody radiation, based on discrete energy, in response to the failures of classical mechanics as evidenced by the ultraviolet catastrophe observed with respect to the Rayleigh-Jeans model, based on energy equipartition. This is grossly inaccurate historically since Planck’s model precedes the Rayleigh jeans model by five years; and was obtained via application of classical electrodynamics and thermodynamics; discrete energy was subsequently introduced in the process of attaining a theoretical foundation. In this talk the historic origins of the Planck and Rayleigh-Jeans models, and their respective connections to discrete Energy, and energy equipartition will be presented. The issues that Jeans, Rayleigh, and even Planck had with discrete energy will be examined as a means of understanding the pursuit of Rayleigh-Jeans classical model, when the “correct” model had already been found by Planck. Finally, reasons for the common misconception regarding the respective origins of the Planck and Rayleigh-Jeans models will be considered

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