Does heat create infrared radiation? Is heat itself IR radiation? Is it radiation like I am thinking of in the sense of nuclear radiation except not harmful? If someone could clear this up for me...what exactly is the link here?
Really good answers so far. You guys sure know your IR.

__________________
Yahoo! Answers 4ever

Anything with a temperature above absolute zero generates electromagnetic radiation. The frequency distribution of the radiation depends on the temperature. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_body

At room temperature, almost all the radiation is in the infra-red and lower. At temperatures over 1000ºK there will be some visible (mostly red) radiation; at 2700ºK the light will be yellowish-white, like a standard light bulb.

The radiation produces heat, but is not heat. Heat is the kinetic motion of molecules in a material. The radiant energy is absorbed by materials and converted to molecular motion, which we sense as heat.

Nuclear radiation are much higher frequencies, well above visible light, consisting of x-rays and gamma-rays. The energy of this radiation is enough to break apart atoms (ionize them). This type of radiation is harmful.

The difference in all these radiations is the frequency. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_spectrum

__________________
I Love Yahoo! Answers