Asked by violet

How does an increase in thermal energy affect molecules?

They stop moving.
They begin to vibrate more.
They decrease in temperature.
They lose kinetic energy.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
They begin to vibrate more.

Increasing thermal energy raises a substance’s temperature and thus the average kinetic energy of its molecules. That means more molecular motion (faster translation/rotation and, in solids especially, increased vibration). The other choices are incorrect: molecules don’t stop moving, they don’t decrease in temperature, and they don’t lose kinetic energy.