Question

question 1 of 10
when you heat ice on a hot stove, the ice melts. what is happening during this process?
a. gravitational potential energy is being transferred from the stove to the ice.
b. heat energy is being transferred from the stove to the ice.
c. the thermal energy of the ice is decreasing.
d. the nuclear energy of the ice is being released.

Explanation:

• Option A: Gravitational potential energy depends on height and mass. Heating ice on a stove has no relation to gravitational potential energy transfer from the stove to the ice.
• Option B: When ice is heated on a stove, heat energy is transferred from the hot stove (higher - temperature object) to the ice (lower - temperature object) due to the temperature difference. This heat energy causes the ice to melt.
• Option C: As heat is transferred to the ice, its thermal energy (a form of internal energy related to temperature and phase) increases, not decreases.
• Option D: Melting of ice is a physical change (phase change from solid to liquid) and has nothing to do with nuclear energy release. Nuclear energy is associated with changes in the nucleus of atoms, which is not the case here.

Answer:

B. Heat energy is being transferred from the stove to the ice.