Nelson places a stainless steel spoon in a cup of hot coffee, as shown in the picture.
How does the motion of the atoms in the spoon change when the spoon is placed in the hot coffee?
A
The atoms vibrate faster due to the conduction of heat through atoms in the spoon.
B
The atoms vibrate slower due to the conduction of heat through atoms in the spoon.
C
The atoms move closer toward each other due to the radiation of heat through atoms in the spoon.
D
The atoms move away from each other due to the convection of heat through atoms in the spoon.
A. The atoms vibrate faster due to the conduction of heat through atoms in the spoon.
A
The atoms vibrate faster due to the conduction of heat through atoms in the spoon.
The correct answer is A. The atoms in the spoon vibrate faster due to the conduction of heat through the atoms in the spoon.
Explanation:
When the spoon is placed in the hot coffee, heat energy is transferred from the hot coffee to the spoon through a process called conduction. Conduction is the transfer of heat from one object to another through direct contact. In the case of the spoon, the hot coffee transfers its heat energy to the atoms in the spoon through collisions between the atoms of the coffee and the atoms of the spoon.
As the atoms in the spoon gain heat energy, they begin to vibrate faster. This increase in vibration is due to the increase in thermal energy (heat energy) of the atoms. In other words, the atoms have more kinetic energy, which causes them to move more vigorously. This increased motion is what we perceive as a rise in temperature of the spoon.
So, when Nelson places the stainless steel spoon in the hot coffee, the motion of the atoms in the spoon changes by vibrating faster due to the conduction of heat through the atoms in the spoon.