Water cools from 2°C to −2°C. During this time, what happens to the motion of the molecules?

Question

a
The motion of the molecules stops.
b
The motion of the molecules increases.
c
The motion of the molecules decreases.
d
The motion of the molecules remains the same.

Answer 1

c. The motion of the molecules decreases.

As water cools from 2°C to -2°C, the molecules are losing kinetic energy, which results in a decrease in motion. The decrease in temperature causes the molecules to slow down and eventually reach a state where they have less thermal energy and move less.