Answer:
Imagine a very hot mug of coffee with a
spoon in it resting on the countertop of a
kitchen. That cup of coffee has a
temperature very high temperature and
the surroundings (countertop, air in the
kitchen, etc.) have a temperature that is
much lower. The cup of coffee will
gradually cool down over time. At 80°C, you
wouldn't even think about drinking the
coffee; even the coffee mug will likely be
too hot to touch. Over time, both the
coffee mug and the coffee will cool down, reach a drinkable temperature and
eventually reach room temperature.
The coffee and the mug are
transferring heat to the
surroundings. This transfer of heat
occurs from the hot coffee and hot
mug to the surrounding air. The
fact that the coffee lowers its
temperature is a sign that the
average kinetic energy of its
particles is decreasing. The coffee
is losing energy. The mug is also
lowering its temperature; the
average kinetic energy of its
particles is also decreasing. The mug is also losing energy. The energy that is
lost by the coffee and the mug is being transferred to the colder
surroundings. This transfer of energy from the coffee and the mug to the
surrounding air and countertop is heat.
Explanation:
