A blacksmith strikes a piece of metal with a hammer repeatedly. The metal slowly begins to glow as the temperature increases, and the metal becomes more malleable. Which changes on a microscopic level led to the visible changes in the properties of metal?

1. The average speed of the particles increased
2. The kinetic energy of the particles decreased
3. The potential energy of the particles decreased
4. The individual temperature of the particles increased
Which one is right?

The correct answer is 4. The individual temperature of the particles increased.

When a blacksmith strikes a piece of metal with a hammer repeatedly, it imparts kinetic energy to the metal particles, causing them to vibrate and move faster. This increase in kinetic energy leads to an increase in temperature as the particles collide more frequently and with greater force. As a result, the metal slowly begins to glow, indicating that its temperature has increased significantly. The increase in temperature makes the metal more malleable, allowing the blacksmith to shape or mold it more easily.

The correct answer is:

1. The average speed of the particles increased

As the blacksmith strikes the metal with a hammer repeatedly, the kinetic energy of the metal particles increases. This increase in kinetic energy leads to an increase in the average speed of the particles. This increase in speed results in increased collisions between the particles, which generates heat energy. The heat causes the metal to gradually glow and become more malleable, allowing it to be shaped more easily by the blacksmith.

The correct answer is 1. The average speed of the particles increased.

When a blacksmith strikes a piece of metal with a hammer, it imparts kinetic energy to the metal. This increase in energy causes the metal particles to vibrate and move faster. At a microscopic level, the increased kinetic energy translates into higher average speeds of the metal particles.

As the average speed of the metal particles increases, the temperature of the metal also rises. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance. So, in this case, the individual temperature of the particles increases as their average speed increases.

The increased temperature leads to a variety of changes in the properties of the metal. In this scenario, as the metal becomes hotter, it slowly starts to glow. This is because the high temperature causes the metal atoms to vibrate more vigorously, exciting their electrons. As the electrons return to their lower energy levels, they emit light, resulting in the glowing effect.

Additionally, the increased temperature also makes the metal more malleable or pliable. Higher temperatures allow the metal particles to move more freely and slide past each other, making it easier for the blacksmith to shape the metal using the hammer.

To summarize, the visible changes in the properties of the metal, such as glowing and increased malleability, are a result of the increased average speed of the metal particles, which is caused by the kinetic energy imparted by the hammer strikes.