Asked by qp

An ice cube is placed on a kitchen counter. Which best describes heat flow in this situation?
Heat flows from the ice to the counter, causing the molecules in the counter to move more quickly.
Heat flows from the ice to the counter, causing the molecules in the counter to move more slowly.
Heat flows from the counter to the ice, causing the molecules in the counter to move more quickly.
Heat flows from the counter to the ice, causing the molecules in the counter to move more slowly.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Heat flows from the counter to the ice, causing the molecules in the counter to move more slowly.

Reason: Heat flows spontaneously from the warmer object (the counter) to the colder one (the ice). As the counter loses thermal energy its molecules lose some kinetic energy (move slightly more slowly) while the ice gains energy and melts.