Simone has a mug of hot tea at a temperature of 90°C. She sets the mug on a counter in a room with an air temperature of 30°C. What is most likely to happen to the temperature of the hot tea?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The air will transfer thermal energy into the tea, and the energy transfer will continue until the tea is at room temperature.
The air will transfer thermal energy into the tea, and the energy transfer will continue until the tea is at room temperature.

The hot tea will transfer thermal energy into the air, and the energy transfer will continue until the tea is at room temperature.
The hot tea will transfer thermal energy into the air, and the energy transfer will continue until the tea is at room temperature.

The hot tea will transfer thermal energy into the air and will continue to transfer energy until they are both 90°C.
The hot tea will transfer thermal energy into the air and will continue to transfer energy until they are both 90°C.

The air will transfer thermal energy into the tea and will continue to transfer energy until they are both 90°C.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

The hot tea will transfer thermal energy into the air, and the energy transfer will continue until the tea is at room temperature.

In this scenario, the hot tea, which is at a higher temperature than the surrounding air, will lose thermal energy to the cooler air until thermal equilibrium is reached, which will be at a temperature closer to the room temperature (30°C), assuming no other factors are at play.