Question 3 (1 point)
During an experiment, a canister filled with hot water was added to a beaker filled with cold water. In which direction did the heat energy move?
a
The heat energy moved from the cold water of the beaker into the hot water of the canister.
b
No heat energy moved, as it all remained in the canister of hot water.
c
The heat energy moved from the hot water of the canister into the cold water of the beaker.
d
Equal amounts of heat energy from each container moved in both directions.
c
The heat energy moved from the hot water of the canister into the cold water of the beaker.
The correct answer is:
c - The heat energy moved from the hot water of the canister into the cold water of the beaker.
The correct answer is c) The heat energy moved from the hot water of the canister into the cold water of the beaker.
When two objects of different temperatures come into contact with each other, heat energy is transferred from the object with higher temperature to the object with lower temperature until they reach thermal equilibrium, meaning they have the same temperature. This process is known as heat transfer by conduction.
In this experiment, the hot water in the canister has a higher temperature compared to the cold water in the beaker. Therefore, heat energy will move from the hot water to the cold water until both reach the same temperature.
To understand this concept, you can think about particles at the molecular level. The particles in the hot water have higher kinetic energy and are moving more rapidly compared to the particles in the cold water. As the particles collide, the more energetic particles of the hot water transfer some of their energy to the less energetic particles of the cold water, causing them to move faster and increase their temperature.
To summarize, heat energy always moves from the object with higher temperature to the object with lower temperature. In this case, it moved from the hot water in the canister into the cold water in the beaker.