A fisherman in a boat is drinking a cup of hot coffee. The large lake below his boat is full of cold water. Which statement is an accurate comparison of the lake water and the coffee?

Question

A. The lake will have more total thermal energy, and the particles in the lake water will be moving faster.
B. The coffee will have more total thermal energy, and the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.
C. The lake will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.
D. The coffee will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the lake water will be moving faster.

Answer 1

The correct statement is C. The lake will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.

Here's the reasoning:

1. Total thermal energy: The lake, being vast and containing a large volume of cold water, will have a significantly greater total thermal energy compared to a small cup of coffee. Total thermal energy depends on both the mass and temperature of a substance, and the mass of the lake's water is much greater than that of the coffee.

2. Particle motion: The coffee is hot, which means its temperature is higher than that of the cold lake water. As temperature increases, the kinetic energy of the particles also increases, leading to the conclusion that the particles in the coffee are moving faster than those in the cold lake water.

Thus, Option C accurately describes the situation.