Understanding Heat: The Relationship Between Radiation and Thermal Energy

[LogicalAcid]

Does radiation cause it, because I know on average the higher the heat of an object, the higher the peak of its emitted radiation spectrum, but then it comes to thermal energy, which is the measure of the energy of random particles in the atom itself, is radiation emitted by an atom part of the thermal energy of it, because it is caused by the electrons in it, which are random particles in an atom.

To put it in simpler terms: What causes heat?

 

[rcgldr]

Objects have temperature, which is related to the kinetic energy of their molecules.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperature

Heat is a form of energy, infrared light. An object emitting heat experiences a reduction in temparture corresponding to the amount of heat emitted.

 

[K^2]

Heat is thermal energy, but it is not necessarily transferred as radiation.

 

[Dr Lots-o'watts]

Does radiation cause it, because I know on average the higher the heat of an object, the higher the peak of its emitted radiation spectrum, but then it comes to thermal energy, which is the measure of the energy of random particles in the atom itself, is radiation emitted by an atom part of the thermal energy of it, because it is caused by the electrons in it, which are random particles in an atom.

To put it in simpler terms: What causes heat?

Thermal energy is the energy contained in IR-range vibrations of any kind of particles. While "heat" can be seen as the transfer (through radiation, conduction or convection) of thermal energy towards a medium containing less thermal energy.

 

[sardar]

Radiation and thermal energy are closely related concepts, but they are not the same thing. Radiation is a form of energy that is emitted by an object in the form of electromagnetic waves, while thermal energy is the energy of random motion of particles within an object.

In terms of heat, radiation can both cause and contribute to it. When an object absorbs radiation, it can increase the thermal energy of its particles, causing the object to heat up. On the other hand, objects at higher temperatures also emit more radiation, so the presence of radiation can also indicate the level of thermal energy in an object.

In terms of thermal energy being part of radiation, it is important to understand that radiation is not emitted solely by individual particles within an atom, but by the object as a whole. While the movement of particles within an atom does contribute to the overall thermal energy of an object, it is the collective movement of all particles that determines the amount of thermal energy present.

In summary, both radiation and thermal energy play important roles in understanding heat. Radiation can both cause and indicate the amount of thermal energy in an object, but they are separate concepts that work together to contribute to the overall temperature of an object.