A block of metal is on a table. what must be true for thermal energy to flow from the table to the metal?

a. both the table and the metal must be cooler than the surrounding air.
b. the metal must be cooler than the table
c. the table and the metal must be in thermal equilibrium
d. the table must be cooler than the metal

My answer:
B

I believe you are correct!

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The correct answer is a. Both the table and the metal must be cooler than the surrounding air.

To determine the correct answer, we need to understand the concept of thermal energy flow. Heat always flows from a higher temperature object to a lower temperature object until thermal equilibrium is reached.

In this scenario, we have a block of metal on a table. For thermal energy to flow from the table to the metal, the metal must be cooler than the table.

Option (a) states that both the table and the metal must be cooler than the surrounding air. While it is true that heat can transfer from objects cooler than the surrounding air to those objects, it does not guarantee that the thermal energy will flow from the table to the metal.

Option (b) states that the metal must be cooler than the table, which is the correct statement for thermal energy to flow from the table to the metal.

Option (c) suggests that the table and the metal must be in thermal equilibrium. Thermal equilibrium means that two objects have the same temperature and there is no net flow of thermal energy between them. Therefore, option (c) does not guarantee thermal energy flow from the table to the metal.

Option (d) states that the table must be cooler than the metal. However, according to the concept of thermal energy flow, heat always flows from a higher temperature object to a lower temperature object. Therefore, option (d) is incorrect.

In conclusion, option (b) is the correct answer. The metal must be cooler than the table for thermal energy to flow from the table to the metal.