A fisherman in a boat is drinking a cup of hot coffee. The large lake below his boat is full of cold water. Which statement is an accurate comparison of the lake water and the coffee?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The lake will have more total thermal energy, and the particles in the lake water will be moving faster.
The lake will have more total thermal energy, and the particles in the lake water will be moving faster.

The coffee will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the lake water will be moving faster.
The coffee will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the lake water will be moving faster.

The lake will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.
The lake will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.

The coffee will have more total thermal energy, and the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.
The coffee will have more total thermal energy, and the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.

Answer 1

To evaluate the statements, let's consider the concepts of thermal energy and the motion of particles:

1. Total Thermal Energy: The total thermal energy of a substance depends on both its temperature and the amount (mass) of the substance. A large lake contains a much greater mass of water compared to a cup of coffee, even if the lake water is cold.

2. Particle Motion: The temperature of a substance is related to the average kinetic energy of its particles. Since the coffee is hot, its particles are moving faster on average compared to the cold water in the lake.

Based on these points, the most accurate statement is:

The lake will have more total thermal energy, but the particles in the coffee will be moving faster.

This statement correctly emphasizes that while the lake (with its much larger volume) has higher total thermal energy, the particles in the hot coffee are moving faster due to its higher temperature.