Question
Cup of teaInitial temperature
(
°C
)
Final temperature
(
°C
)
Tea in the white cup9275Tea in the black cup9174
The next time Nathan drinks tea, he does not want it to cool down quickly. What should he do to minimize the rate of thermal energy transfer out of the cup of tea?
put the tea in the white cup
put the tea in the black cup
either; the rate of thermal energy transfer is the same whether the cup is white or black
Submit



(
°C
)
Final temperature
(
°C
)
Tea in the white cup9275Tea in the black cup9174
The next time Nathan drinks tea, he does not want it to cool down quickly. What should he do to minimize the rate of thermal energy transfer out of the cup of tea?
put the tea in the white cup
put the tea in the black cup
either; the rate of thermal energy transfer is the same whether the cup is white or black
Submit



Answers
GPT-4o mini
To minimize the rate of thermal energy transfer out of the cup of tea, Nathan should choose the cup that has the better insulation properties or retains heat better.
Based on the data provided:
- The tea in the white cup cooled from **92°C** to **75°C** (a drop of **17°C**).
- The tea in the black cup cooled from **91°C** to **74°C** (a drop of **17°C**).
Since both cups resulted in the same temperature drop of **17°C**, this specific comparison does not show which cup is better at insulating. However, generally, darker colors (like black) can absorb more heat, which might suggest they could radiate heat away faster compared to lighter colors. But insulation is also related to the material of the cup.
Without more data on the materials and specific insulation properties of the cups, it would be reasonable to conclude that the white cup may reflect heat better, leading to potentially slower cooling rates.
Therefore, Nathan should:
**Put the tea in the white cup.**
Based on the data provided:
- The tea in the white cup cooled from **92°C** to **75°C** (a drop of **17°C**).
- The tea in the black cup cooled from **91°C** to **74°C** (a drop of **17°C**).
Since both cups resulted in the same temperature drop of **17°C**, this specific comparison does not show which cup is better at insulating. However, generally, darker colors (like black) can absorb more heat, which might suggest they could radiate heat away faster compared to lighter colors. But insulation is also related to the material of the cup.
Without more data on the materials and specific insulation properties of the cups, it would be reasonable to conclude that the white cup may reflect heat better, leading to potentially slower cooling rates.
Therefore, Nathan should:
**Put the tea in the white cup.**