Final answer:
Kinetic energy is mostly transferred from the hot water molecules to the ice cube molecules, causing the ice to melt. This process continues until the temperatures equalize, resulting in a mixture of water at a uniform temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an ice cube is placed in a cup of hot water, the energy transfer between the water molecules occurs at the molecular level. This process involves the transfer of kinetic energy from the higher kinetic energy molecules (the hot water molecules) to the lower kinetic energy molecules (the molecules in the ice). As a result, the correct statement that describes this energy transfer is: Kinetic energy is transferred mostly from the hot water molecules to the water molecules in the ice.
Hot objects have molecules that are moving faster and therefore have greater kinetic energy than those in a cold object. The heat, which is the transfer of thermal energy, flows from the hot water to the colder ice cube. This energy transfer causes the cohesive bonds between the molecules in the ice to break, which leads to the ice melting but does not initially raise the temperature of the ice-water mixture until all ice has melted.