Kamile L. answered • 08/21/19
Bachelor's in Physics
Thermal radiation is really fascinating! It refers to the fact that all matter with a temperature greater than absolute zero (-237 Kelvin) emits electromagnetic radiation created by the thermal motion of particles. Thermal motion refers to the concept that all matter moves around a little bit because it has energy from having some temperature above absolute 0. Atoms and molecules are composed of charged particles, protons and electrons, and the interactions between these charged particles creates electromagnetic fields. Whenever there are electromagnetic fields, there are photons, and the photons created carry away energy from the object.
Thermal radiation is the conversion of thermal energy into electromagnetic energy, and we can observe this phenomenon when things get really hot, like a piece of metal and begin to glow. Before getting super hot, the object was glowing too, but in the infrared range of the spectrum. Because lots of objects emit infrared thermal radiation, we associate infrared radiation with heat.
