A student places a skillet on a stove. After heating for 10 minutes, the student removes the skillet from stove. Which describes the kinetic energy of the molecules in the skillet during the investigation?
a
The kinetic energy increases and then decreases.
b
The kinetic energy decreases and then increases.
c
The kinetic energy remains the same.
d
The kinetic energy constantly increases.
a - The kinetic energy increases and then decreases.
The correct answer is b. The kinetic energy decreases and then increases.
When the skillet is placed on the stove and heated, the heat is transferred to the molecules in the skillet. This increase in heat energy causes the molecules to move faster, thereby increasing their kinetic energy. However, when the skillet is removed from the stove, the heat source is removed, causing the temperature of the skillet to decrease. As the temperature decreases, the kinetic energy of the molecules also decreases. However, since the skillet is still warm, the molecules continue to move, albeit at a slower rate, resulting in a lower but still non-zero kinetic energy.
To understand the change in kinetic energy of the molecules in the skillet during the investigation, we need to understand the relationship between temperature and kinetic energy.
Kinetic energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its motion. In the case of molecules, their kinetic energy is directly related to their temperature. As temperature increases, the average kinetic energy of the molecules also increases.
In this scenario, the student places the skillet on a stove and heats it for 10 minutes. Heating the skillet on the stove transfers heat energy to the skillet, which in turn increases the average kinetic energy of the molecules in the skillet. As a result, the kinetic energy of the molecules in the skillet increases during the heating process.
After the skillet is removed from the stove, the heat energy transfers from the skillet to the surrounding environment, causing the molecules in the skillet to lose energy. Consequently, the kinetic energy of the molecules in the skillet decreases after it is removed from the stove.
Therefore, the correct answer is option b: The kinetic energy decreases and then increases.