A student with a body temperature of 37°C holds a can of cold soda with a temperature of 18°C. The student is in a room with an air temperature of 22°C. Which statement best describes the flow of heat throughout the entire system?
Responses
Heat will flow from the air to the can and the student.
Heat will flow from the air to the can and the student.
Heat will flow from the student to the can and the air to the can.
Heat will flow from the student to the can and the air to the can.
Heat will flow from the student to the can.
Heat will flow from the student to the can.
Heat will flow from the student to the can and the air, and from the air to the can.
Heat will flow from the air to the can and the student.
Heat will flow from the student to the can, and from the air to the can.
The correct statement describing the flow of heat throughout the entire system is: "Heat will flow from the student to the can and the air, and from the air to the can."
To understand why this is the case, we need to consider the temperatures involved. The student's body temperature is higher than the air temperature but lower than the temperature of the cold soda can. Heat naturally flows from objects with higher temperatures to objects with lower temperatures.
In this scenario, the student with a body temperature of 37°C is warmer than both the air in the room (22°C) and the cold soda can (18°C). Heat will therefore transfer from the student's body to both the can and the air, as the student's body seeks to reach thermal equilibrium with the cooler objects.
At the same time, because the air temperature is warmer than the temperature of the cold soda can, heat will also flow from the air to the can. This is because heat always moves from warmer objects to cooler objects. The transfer of heat from the air to the can helps bring the can's temperature closer to the air temperature.
Overall, heat flows from the student to the can and the air, and from the air to the can, until thermal equilibrium is reached and all objects have the same temperature.