What type of radiation is emitted by a black body?

A black body is an idealized physical object that absorbs all incoming radiation and re-emits energy in a characteristic spectrum based solely on its temperature. The radiation emitted by a black body across a wide range of wavelengths is referred to as black body radiation. This type of radiation is determined by Planck’s law and is a continuation of the concept of thermal radiation.

Black body radiation encompasses all types of thermal radiation emitted by an object due to its temperature, meaning it includes infrared, visible, and ultraviolet radiation as parts of its spectrum. However, the term "black body radiation" specifically describes the unique and complete distribution of energy emitted by a perfect black body, making it distinct from just thermal radiation or any singular range like infrared or ultraviolet.

Thus, defining the radiation emitted by a black body as "black body radiation" provides the most precise description, highlighting the nature of how this emission reflects the temperature and physical characteristics of the body, making it the correct answer.