Question
11. Ralph and Sheila are at a construction site and they are stacking bricks. The diagram above shows the bricks before they touch. Use the information in the diagram to answer the question.
After the bricks have been touching for a while, whose top brick will be cooler?
Responses
a
Ralph’s top brick will be cooler than Sheila's top brick, because less energy has to transfer for Ralph’s brick’s molecules to reach the same temperature as the molecules of his bottom brick.
Ralph’s top brick will be cooler than Sheila's top brick, because less energy has to transfer for Ralph’s brick’s molecules to reach the same temperature as the molecules of his bottom brick.
b
Sheila's top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because Sheila’s started with more total energy, so less energy had to transfer for both her bricks to reach the same total energy.
Sheila's top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because Sheila’s started with more total energy, so less energy had to transfer for both her bricks to reach the same total energy.
c
Sheila’s top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because the energy that transferred to Sheila’s was spread out over more molecules.
Sheila’s top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because the energy that transferred to Sheila’s was spread out over more molecules.
d
Both will be the same temperature, because both bottom bricks had the same amount of energy to transfer and the molecules in the top bricks started with the same energy.
After the bricks have been touching for a while, whose top brick will be cooler?
Responses
a
Ralph’s top brick will be cooler than Sheila's top brick, because less energy has to transfer for Ralph’s brick’s molecules to reach the same temperature as the molecules of his bottom brick.
Ralph’s top brick will be cooler than Sheila's top brick, because less energy has to transfer for Ralph’s brick’s molecules to reach the same temperature as the molecules of his bottom brick.
b
Sheila's top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because Sheila’s started with more total energy, so less energy had to transfer for both her bricks to reach the same total energy.
Sheila's top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because Sheila’s started with more total energy, so less energy had to transfer for both her bricks to reach the same total energy.
c
Sheila’s top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because the energy that transferred to Sheila’s was spread out over more molecules.
Sheila’s top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because the energy that transferred to Sheila’s was spread out over more molecules.
d
Both will be the same temperature, because both bottom bricks had the same amount of energy to transfer and the molecules in the top bricks started with the same energy.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To determine whose top brick will be cooler after they have been touching for a while, we need to analyze the heat transfer between the bricks.
In general, when two objects are in contact, heat will transfer from the hotter object to the cooler one until they reach thermal equilibrium. The final temperature of each brick's top layer will depend on several factors, including the initial temperatures and energy levels of the bottom bricks, the number of molecules in each brick, and how efficiently they can transfer energy between them.
Let’s break down the options provided in the responses:
a. This option suggests that Ralph’s top brick will be cooler because less energy is required for it to reach the same temperature as his bottom brick. However, this reasoning may not properly account for the overall energy dynamics and doesn't address how the total energy distribution affects temperature.
b. This suggests that Sheila's top brick will be cooler due to starting with more total energy. This reasoning could be misleading. Having more energy in the bottom brick does not necessarily mean the top brick will end up cooler; it depends on how that energy is distributed and transferred.
c. This option explains that Sheila’s top brick will be cooler because the energy transfer was spread out over more molecules. This can be a reasonable argument, particularly if Sheila's bottom brick has more mass or is comprised of more molecules than Ralph's, allowing for a more gradual increase in energy and temperature.
d. This option states that both bricks will be the same temperature due to equal energy in the bottom bricks and the same initial energy in the top bricks. While this might seem plausible, it doesn't fully recognize differences in heat capacity or the specific conditions of the bricks.
Given this analysis, option **c** could be the most reasonable choice if we assume Sheila's bottom brick contains more mass or molecules, allowing for better energy distribution and resulting in a cooler top brick when energy is transferred.
So the answer is: **c**. "Sheila’s top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because the energy that transferred to Sheila’s was spread out over more molecules."
In general, when two objects are in contact, heat will transfer from the hotter object to the cooler one until they reach thermal equilibrium. The final temperature of each brick's top layer will depend on several factors, including the initial temperatures and energy levels of the bottom bricks, the number of molecules in each brick, and how efficiently they can transfer energy between them.
Let’s break down the options provided in the responses:
a. This option suggests that Ralph’s top brick will be cooler because less energy is required for it to reach the same temperature as his bottom brick. However, this reasoning may not properly account for the overall energy dynamics and doesn't address how the total energy distribution affects temperature.
b. This suggests that Sheila's top brick will be cooler due to starting with more total energy. This reasoning could be misleading. Having more energy in the bottom brick does not necessarily mean the top brick will end up cooler; it depends on how that energy is distributed and transferred.
c. This option explains that Sheila’s top brick will be cooler because the energy transfer was spread out over more molecules. This can be a reasonable argument, particularly if Sheila's bottom brick has more mass or is comprised of more molecules than Ralph's, allowing for a more gradual increase in energy and temperature.
d. This option states that both bricks will be the same temperature due to equal energy in the bottom bricks and the same initial energy in the top bricks. While this might seem plausible, it doesn't fully recognize differences in heat capacity or the specific conditions of the bricks.
Given this analysis, option **c** could be the most reasonable choice if we assume Sheila's bottom brick contains more mass or molecules, allowing for better energy distribution and resulting in a cooler top brick when energy is transferred.
So the answer is: **c**. "Sheila’s top brick will be cooler than Ralph’s top brick, because the energy that transferred to Sheila’s was spread out over more molecules."