Does thermal energy go from the hot water to the room temperature or from the room temperature to the hot water?
Thermal energy typically goes from the hot water to the room temperature. Heat naturally flows from a higher temperature to a lower temperature, and therefore, the thermal energy of the hot water will transfer to the cooler surrounding room temperature.
Thermal energy always flows from a higher temperature to a lower temperature. Therefore, in the scenario you mentioned, thermal energy would flow from hot water to the room temperature.
Thermal energy, by the process of heat transfer, flows from objects at higher temperature to those at lower temperature. So, in the case of hot water and room temperature air, thermal energy moves from the hot water to the room temperature. This is due to the principle of thermal equilibrium, which states that when two objects are in contact, heat will flow from the object with higher temperature to the one with lower temperature until they reach the same temperature.
To understand the direction of heat transfer in this scenario, you can consider the concept of temperature difference. The hot water has a higher temperature compared to the room temperature, creating a temperature difference between them. As a result, heat energy will flow from the hot water to the cooler room temperature until both reach an equilibrium.
It's important to note that the transfer of thermal energy can occur through different mechanisms, such as conduction, convection, and radiation. In the case of hot water and room temperature, the predominant mode of heat transfer would be convection, which is the transfer of heat through the movement of fluid (in this case, air).