To accurately compare the thermal energy of the coffee and the lake water, we need to consider both total thermal energy and the motion of particles.
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Total Thermal Energy: Total thermal energy depends on the mass and temperature of a substance. The lake contains a large volume of cold water, which means it has a significant total thermal energy because it has a lot of mass, even though the individual water particles may be cooler (moving slower). The coffee, being hot, has higher temperature but is likely to have much less volume and mass compared to the lake.
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Particle Motion: Particles in hotter substances move faster than those in cooler substances. Since the coffee is hot, its particles will be moving faster compared to the cold water particles in the lake.
Given these considerations, the accurate comparison would be:
- The lake will have more total thermal energy (due to its large mass), but the particles in the coffee will be moving faster (due to its higher temperature).
Therefore, the correct statement is: The lake will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.
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