Final answer:
The sensation of coldness when touching a metal sink is because the sink absorbs heat from the student's finger, which is explained by the fast heat transfer property of metal.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a student touches her finger to a metal sink and notices her finger is left feeling cold, the correct explanation for this observation is Option 1: The metal sink absorbed heat from the student's finger. This is due to the fact that metal is a good conductor of thermal energy. Heat naturally flows from a warmer object to a cooler one until they are at the same temperature. In this case, the student's finger is likely warmer than the metal sink. Because metals, such as the one the sink is made of, conduct thermal energy quickly, the heat from the student's finger is rapidly transferred to the sink, making the finger feel cold. Materials like metals, which are good heat conductors, allow the heat to flow quickly from a warmer object to a cooler one. The sensation of coldness is therefore not due to the metal sink generating electricity or changing color, but rather it is a result of the heat transfer from the student's warmer finger to the cooler metal sink.