Simone has a mug of hot tea at a temperature of 90°C. She sets the mug on a counter in a room with an air temperature of 30°C. What is most likely to happen to the temperature of the hot tea?(1 point)
The temperature of the hot tea will decrease as it loses thermal energy to the cooler air in the room.
The temperature of the hot tea will gradually decrease.
To determine what is most likely to happen to the temperature of the hot tea, we need to consider the concept of thermal equilibrium and the principles of heat transfer.
Thermal equilibrium is the state in which two objects or systems are at the same temperature and there is no net heat transfer between them. Heat transfer occurs through three main mechanisms: conduction, convection, and radiation.
In this scenario, the hot tea at 90°C is initially at a higher temperature than the air in the room at 30°C. Hence, there will be a temperature difference between the tea and the room.
First, let's consider conduction. Conduction is the process of heat transfer through direct contact between objects of different temperatures. When Simone sets the mug on the counter, heat is transferred from the hot tea to the colder counter through conduction. However, since the counter is a solid material with a relatively low heat transfer rate, this process is relatively slow and does not contribute significantly to cooling the tea.
Next, we have convection. Convection is the process of heat transfer through the movement of a fluid, which can be either a gas or a liquid. In this case, air is the fluid surrounding the tea. As the hot tea heats up the air immediately above it, the heated air rises, creating a convection current. At the same time, cooler air from the room comes into contact with the tea's surface and gets heated, continuing the process. This convection current helps to transfer heat away from the tea more efficiently compared to conduction alone.
Lastly, radiation is the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves. All objects emit and absorb radiation based on their temperature. Hotter objects emit more radiant heat. In this scenario, the hot tea would radiate heat to the colder surrounding air, contributing to the overall cooling process.
Considering these principles, it is most likely that the temperature of the hot tea will gradually decrease as heat is transferred to the surrounding air through convection and radiation. The rate at which the tea cools will depend on various factors such as the initial temperature of the tea, the temperature of the room, the size and material of the mug, and the presence of any insulating factors like lids or covers.
Therefore, the most likely outcome is that the temperature of the hot tea will decrease over time until it reaches a state of thermal equilibrium with the room temperature, which is 30°C in this case.