The amounts of thermal radiation from different colored surfaces and a cavity, all at the same temperature, are compared.

An aluminum cube has sides that are black, white, polished aluminum and matte aluminum with a hole. The cube is heated to approximately 90°C and an Infrared Light Sensor is moved across the face with the hole in it to show that the hole emits more infrared radiation than the surrounding surface. A Rotary Motion Sensor on a Linear Translator keeps track of the light sensor's position and the light intensity versus position is plotted. The scan in the visible spectrum is made with a Light Sensor to confirm that the hole is darker than the surrounding surface.

Also, the intensity of radiation from the different colored surfaces is compared.

PASCO Advantage:
The temperature of the cavity is controlled by the 750 Interface and measured using a Thermister Temperature Sensor, which reads in degrees rather than resistance, eliminating confusion about the resistance decreasing as the temperature increases. The temperature is used to calculate the theoretical wavelength of maximum intensity emitted by the cavity.