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? (1 point)

Question

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

Answer 1

To analyze the thermal energy comparison between the lake water and the coffee, we must consider both the volume and temperature of each.

1. The lake is a large body of cold water, which means while it may have a lower temperature, it has a much larger volume and thus a greater total thermal energy.
2. The coffee, while smaller in total volume, is hot, and therefore its particles are moving faster compared to the lake water particles, which are cooler.

Based on this analysis, the most accurate comparison would be:

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

This option acknowledges that the lake, being much larger, contains more thermal energy overall, while the coffee's higher temperature means its particles are moving more quickly.