Question

Kalani and Lael are students who have been asked to explain why freeze ray guns can't shoot "cold" at people. Read and compare

their arguments. Then, answer the questions below.
Kalani's Argument
A freeze ray cannot shoot "cold" because cold can't be
transferred from one thing to another. Only energy can
transfer.
Lael's Argument
A freeze ray cannot shoot "cold" because cold is not an object.
it is a description of an object whose molecules have a small
amount of kinetic energy.
In order to make something colder, kinetic energy has to be
transferred out of it. Energy always transfers from the warmer
thing to the colder thing, so you would have to put an even
colder thing next to the person you were shooting so the
kinetic energy would transfer out.

Answer 1

According to physics, 'cold' cannot be shot at someone because 'cold' is not a substance; rather, it's the absence of heat, which itself is thermal energy being transferred. Heat flows from hot objects to cold objects until thermal equilibrium, meaning that a cold object does not emit 'cold' but absorbs heat.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding Heat Transfer and the Concept of 'Cold':

The arguments presented by Kalani and Lael both touch on fundamental physics concepts related to energy transfer and temperature. According to the laws of thermodynamics, heat (or thermal energy) always flows from a hot object with higher kinetic energy to a cooler object with lower kinetic energy until they reach thermal equilibrium. Consequently, a cold object cannot spontaneously transfer 'coldness' to a warmer object because 'cold' is not a physical entity that can be transferred, instead it is the absence of heat.

An ice cube feels cold because it is absorbing heat from your hand. The sensation of 'cold' is subjective and refers to the experience of losing energy. The kinetic energy of the ice cube's molecules is less than that of your hand's molecules, resulting in a transfer of energy from hand to ice until thermal equilibrium is established.

Concerning the question posed based on thermodynamic principles, what cannot happen is the spontaneous transfer of energy by heat from a cold object to a hotter one, making the cold object even colder while the hot object gets hotter. In other words, cold objects do not emit cold but rather absorb heat, lowering the temperature of the warmer object in contact with them.