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.