A 100 g block of copper at 95 °C is gently lowered into 100 g of water at 25 °C…
PHYSICS · Single correct · CBSE · Physics · Thermal Properties of Matter · Thermal Properties of Matter
Problem
A 100 g block of copper at 95 °C is gently lowered into 100 g of water at 25 °C inside a perfectly insulated container. Which statement best explains the direction of energy transfer between the copper and the water?
(a) Energy is transferred from the water to the copper because water’s higher specific heat means it contains more thermal energy even at a lower temperature.
(b) Cold flows from the water into the copper until both reach the same temperature because colder objects release coldness to hotter ones.
(c) Energy is transferred from the copper to the water because the copper’s particles have a higher average kinetic energy, leading to net collisions that give energy to the water’s particles.
(d) No net energy transfer occurs because the equal masses of copper and water mean their thermal energies are balanced at the start.