Black Body (Thermal) Radiation
Everything that's warmer than absolute zero
(and that's everything in the universe, as far as we know!), emits
light. EVERYTHING. It's called blackbody or thermal radiation. But
Why?? Heat energy is manifested in thermal motions of the atoms.
These restless, bouncing-about atoms disturb the electrons in them.
When ever you perturb, vibrate, and/or move an electron, it creates
electromagnetic radiation (because you are accelerating a charged
particle). The HOTTER the object, the FASTER the atoms
move, the stronger you perturb the electrons, the greater the
electromagnetic radiation (light) that comes from that object.
The result is that the amount and kind of thermal radiation
produced is dependent on temperature of the object
Everything in the Universe emits BLACK BODY RADIATION, because
everything has some TEMPERATURE. This kind of light is best
described by two important laws:
- Wien's Law:
Hotter bodies radiate more strongly at shorter
wavelengths.
- Stefan-Boltzmann Law:
Hotter bodies radiate more energy than
cooler bodies.