Before radiant energy can be converted to thermal energy, it must be changed to what

The radiant energy is converted into electronic energy before it is transformed into thermal energy.

Explanation:

Radiant energy occurs in the form of "Electromagnetic radiation" and it can pass through all types of matter travelling through the universe. There are numerous advantages of radiant energy. When the radiant energy is incident upon a substance the energy from the sun light excites the electrons in the atom. This sets the atoms in vibrational motion.

Thermal energy is the kinetic energy of moving particles. The thermal energy increases with increase in movement and number of moving particles. When the atoms make a transition from electronically excited state to vibrational state, the energy transfer increases the temperature of the substance. This is felt as thermal energy. Hence, the radiant energy is changed into "electronic energy" before it is converted into "thermal energy".