Jenny measured the temperature of the water in a beaker, set the beaker aside, and then measured the temperature again after an hour. If the initial temperature of the water was 30°C and the final temperature was 20°C, which of the following could be the temperature of the surrounding air?
What are "the following" choices?
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To find out which temperature could be the temperature of the surrounding air, we need to understand the concept of heat transfer and specifically how it relates to the cooling of the water.
When a warmer object comes into contact with a cooler object or the surrounding air, heat transfer occurs. In the case of the water in the beaker, it will lose heat to the surrounding air until they reach the same temperature.
In this scenario, the water was initially at 30°C and then cooled down to 20°C after an hour. Therefore, the temperature of the surrounding air must have been lower than 30°C to cause the water to cool down. However, we don't have a specific value for the temperature of the surrounding air, so let's examine the given options.
If the water cooled down 10°C from 30°C to 20°C, the temperature of the surrounding air could potentially be:
a) 25°C
b) 20°C
c) 18°C
d) 15°C
Now, we need to consider the possibilities for the temperature of the surrounding air.
Option a) 25°C: If the surrounding air was 25°C, it would be cooler than the initial water temperature of 30°C, which would cause the water to cool down further, not reach 20°C. Therefore, option a) is unlikely.
Option b) 20°C: If the surrounding air was exactly the same temperature as the final temperature of the water (20°C), it would mean that no heat was transferred between the water and the surrounding air. This scenario is possible, but it assumes there was no heat transfer. So, option b) could be a plausible answer.
Option c) 18°C: If the surrounding air was 18°C, it would be lower than the final temperature of the water (20°C), causing the water to cool down even further. Therefore, option c) is unlikely.
Option d) 15°C: If the surrounding air was 15°C, it would be significantly cooler than the final temperature of the water (20°C), resulting in a greater heat transfer and a greater drop in temperature. Therefore, option d) is unlikely.
Based on the analysis, the only plausible answer is b) 20°C, assuming there was no other significant factor affecting the cooling of the water.