Final answer:
Heat will transfer from the hot coffee to the cold room until temperature equilibrium is achieved. This is driven by the movement of thermal energy from higher to lower temperature areas.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a hot cup of coffee is in a cold room, heat will transfer to the surrounding room until there is a temperature equilibrium. This process is due to the movement of thermal energy from a higher temperature object (the hot coffee) to a lower temperature environment (the cold room). The heat transfer will continue until the temperature of the coffee and the room are the same, at which point equilibrium is achieved.
Regarding a similar concept, when an ice cube is placed in hot water, the correct statement is kinetic energy transferred mostly from the hot water molecules to the water molecules in the ice. Conversely, when a spoon at room temperature is placed in a cup of hot coffee, heat will spontaneously flow from the coffee to the spoon, resulting in a redistribution of thermal energy as the spoon warms up.