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?

Question

options:

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 answer 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, initially at a higher temperature (90°C), will lose thermal energy to the cooler air (30°C). This heat transfer will happen until the tea reaches thermal equilibrium with the surrounding air, which will be at a temperature lower than its initial temperature. The transfer of heat will continue until the temperatures become equal or close to equal.