Leslie Cube

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Two views of a Leslie cube with a thermal imaging camera compared with black and white images in the visible area

The cube-shaped device named after the physicist John Leslie is used to measure the heat transfer of objects. It consists of a brass cube with a polished and a black painted side, as well as two untreated sides. The cube is filled with water, which can be heated, whereby the temperature of the surface, which is important for measuring the radiation power, can be regulated. See also the Stefan-Boltzmann law .

More recently, the Leslie cube has been traded with a black and white side as well as a polished and an untreated (rough) side.

With the Leslie cube it can be shown that rough bodies emit more radiant energy than smooth ones when the ambient temperature is lower than that of the body. But above all, that the color of the cube does not play a role in the heat emission and that mirrored surfaces give off the least amount of energy. Using Kirchhoff's law of radiation , a conclusion can also be drawn about the ability to absorb energy.