Question

Imani stirs a cup of hot sencha tea with a cool silver spoon. She notices that the silver spoon becomes warmer. What energy change occurs when the silver spoon is added to the hot cup of sencha tea?

A. The spoon adds its cold to the hot tea

B. The hot tea absorbs the heat from the spoon

C. The cool spoon causes the water to expand thus cooling it

D. The tea loses heat to the spoon causing the spoon to become warmer

Answer 1

D. The tea loses heat to the spoon causing the spoon to become warmer

Step-by-step explanation:

When the silver spoon at a lower temperature than the tea, is added to the tea, it makes thermal contact. Hence, the heat transfer starts between the two until the equilibrium is reached. We know that the heat transfer takes place from the body with a higher temperature to a body with a lower temperature. As a result, the body with higher temperature loses heat and its temperature lowers down. While the body with a lower temperature gains heat and its temperature rises.

Therefore, the correct option is:

D. The tea loses heat to the spoon causing the spoon to become warmer