blackbody - If a black body is a perfect absorber, why does it emit anything?

I'm trying to start understanding quantum mechanics, and the first thing I've come across that needs to be understood are black bodies. But I've hit a roadblock at the very first paragraphs. :( According to Wikipedia:

A black body (also, blackbody) is an idealized physical body that absorbs all incident electromagnetic radiation, regardless of frequency or angle of incidence.

OK, that's nice. It's an object that absorbs (takes in itself and stores/annihilates forever) any electromagnetic radiation that happens to hit it. An object that always looks totally black, no matter under what light you view it. Good. But then it follows with:

A black body in thermal equilibrium (that is, at a constant temperature) emits electromagnetic radiation called black-body radiation.

Say what? Which part of "absorbs" does this go with? How can it absorb anything if it just spits it right back out, even if modified? That's not a black body, that's a pretty white body if you ask me. Or a colored one, depending on how it transforms the incoming waves.

What am I missing here?

Answer

Say what? Which part of "absorbs" does this go with?

The key to understanding this is to carefully note the phrase "in thermal equilibrium".

This means that the rates of absorption and emission are the same.

If a body were at a lower temperature than the environment, the rate of absorption would be higher and the body would then heat up.

If a body were at a higher temperature then the environment, the rate of emission would be higher and the body would then cool down.

But, in thermal equilibrium, the temperature is constant and, thus, the rates of absorption and emission must be equal.

Now, put this all together:

• A black body is an ideal absorber, i.e., a black body does not reflect or transmit any incident electromagnetic radiation.


• An object in thermal equilibrium with the environment emits energy at the same rate that it absorbs energy.

Then, it follows that, a black body in thermal equilibrium emits more energy than any other object (non-black body) in the same thermal equilibrium since it absorbs more energy.

Imagine several various objects, including one black body, in an oven and in thermal equilibrium. The black body will 'glow' brighter than the other bodies.