Why is temperature critical in infrared characterization of material?

Temperature is critical in infrared characterization of materials mainly because it directly influences the radiation emitted by the object. According to Planck's law of blackbody radiation, the amount and spectral distribution of radiation emitted by an object are highly dependent on its temperature. As the temperature increases, an object will emit more infrared radiation and the peak wavelength of that radiation will shift towards shorter wavelengths, according to Wien's displacement law.

This relationship plays a crucial role in applications such as thermal imaging and remote sensing, where understanding the emitted radiation provides insights into the material's properties, state, and even its thermal dynamics. Therefore, temperature not only affects the intensity of the emitted radiation but also its spectral characteristics, which are essential for accurate material characterization in the infrared spectrum.