How does fire produce light? How does anything hot produce light? It might be simple but I have no clue…
In: Physics
Light is converted from molecular motion when there is no other matter to pass the energy onto. Heat results from molecular motion.
Heat is crazy random molecular/atomic motion (rotation, vibration, and flying through space).
Light is an oscillating electromagnetic wave. Literally oscillating from positive to negative charge across space. (Google an electromagnetic wave for a reasonable diagram)
Atoms and molecules are made up of electrons and protons which are negative and positively charged. When they jiggle/vibrate (and accelerate) the oppositely charged particles create an electromagnetic field between each other.
Since light is just an electromagnetic wave moving through space you can sort of grasp how when the field is generated from oppositely charged particle motion it spreads away from it. Thus light is created.
Light MUST be generated from a dipole (charges accelerating towards/away from each other). This is the same mechanism for light absorption. A dipole is required. Not only that but light must hit the dipole perpendicularly for absorption to happen. Light waves parallel to dipoles do not couple.
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