Question

Why does the jiggling of tiny particles (heat) emit thermal radiation?

Answer 1

I assume that it is only charged thing that emits thermal radiation. Is this correct?

Answer 2

I don't know what you mean by thermal radiation. On a microscopic scale, the phenomenon we know as heat is in reality the kinetic energy of molecules jiggling around. More jiggling -> More kinetic energy -> hotter object.

Answer 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescence
Essentially, why does
More jiggling -> More kinetic energy -> hotter object ->EM radiation ?

Answer 4

Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, the charged constituents of atoms and molecules emit EM radiation as they jiggle around. Qualitatively you can see that hotter objects with more jiggling would have atoms and molecules that accelerate more, producing higher-energy radiation.

Answer 5

I read that it is because of this:
Take a charged object and its E field (direction unimportant). Begin moving the electron now uniformly, and the information about its moving can only travel as fast as light, and when the E field 'finds out' it jerks into the 'correct' place, but the jerky disturbance is EM radiation.

Is this correct or an oversimplification?