An ice cube on a counter starts to melt. Is this because the air has less kinetic energy than the ice cube or less thermal energy than the ice cube or more kinetic energy than the ice cube
The melting of the ice cube on the counter is primarily due to the transfer of thermal energy from the surrounding air to the ice cube, not the kinetic energy of the air.
Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance. When the ice cube is exposed to warmer air, the particles in the air collide with the surface of the ice cube, transferring thermal energy to it. As a result, the ice cube gains thermal energy, which raises the temperature of the ice, causing it to melt.
Therefore, it is inaccurate to say that the air has "less kinetic energy" or "more kinetic energy" than the ice cube. The melting of the ice cube is primarily driven by the transfer of thermal energy from the warmer air to the colder ice.