Question

question 6. olivia places a cold soda can in a bowl of warm water. after 10 minutes, she noticed that the soda can felt less cold and the water felt less warm. what does this observation indicate about the system? a. the system has reached thermal equilibrium. b. the thermal energy in the system has disappeared. c. thermal energy has started flowing from the soda can to the water. d. thermal energy is still flowing from the water to the soda can.

Explanation:

When two objects are in contact, heat (thermal energy) transfers from the hotter object to the colder one until thermal equilibrium is reached. In this case, the warm water (hotter initially) transfers thermal energy to the cold soda can (colder initially). When the soda can feels less cold and the water feels less warm, it means that the temperature of the soda can and the water has become the same. At this point, thermal equilibrium is achieved, and there is no net flow of thermal energy between them.

• Option B: Thermal energy cannot disappear. It is just transferred or exists in the system in different forms (based on the law of conservation of energy).
• Option C: Thermal energy flows from the warmer object (water, initially) to the colder object (soda can, initially).
• Option D: When thermal equilibrium is reached (soda can feels less cold and water feels less warm), there is no net thermal energy flow.

Answer:

A. The system has reached thermal equilibrium.