Asked by Nico

Which has more thermal energy, a large ice sculpture or a hot cup of tea?



a
A cup of hot tea, due to the number of particles
b
A large ice sculpture because it is colder
c
A cup of hot tea because it is hotter
d
A large ice sculpture, due to the number of particles

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
d

Thermal (internal) energy depends on both temperature and the number (mass) of particles. A large ice sculpture contains vastly more molecules (mass) than a single cup of tea, so its total thermal energy is typically greater even though its temperature is lower. (Temperature is average energy per particle; total thermal energy scales with number of particles and specific heat.)