Thermal radiation

[virgo]

What exactly produces thermal radiation?

I have learned, that if atoms move faster, they radiate higher frequency electromagnetic wave. But how can electrically neutral atoms produce EM wave, if EM waves are produced by moving charged particles?

I know when electron drops from higher orbital to lower, it radiates a photon, but isnt that exact spectrum?

 

Does atom higher speed just increases chance that it will have an electron change orbital?

 

Are these wide spectrum EM waves are produced cause electrons are never separated around the atom evenly?

 

Or when atom changes its direction, the massive nucleus moves more to one side of the atom and separates the charges for a moment?

 

Is every moving particle in atom radiating EM waves all the time? (i dont think so)

 

Is every moving atom radiating EM waves or only when the charges get separated and make a dipole?

[swansont]

There are free electrons, most easily recognized in conducting solids (the conduction band), that undergo collisions and radiate, as do the atoms in the lattice.

 

When atoms undergo collisions, they can have dipole moments induced in them. Even though there is no net charge, there is a charge distribution. AFAIK, this is a source of blackbody radiation.