Two identical ice cubes are placed simultaneously on two horizontal plates, one made of aluminum and one made of polystyrene foam, each plate having the same thickness and the same initial temperature of 25∘C. Observers note that the ice cube on the aluminum plate completely melts in half the time required for the ice cube on the polystyrene plate.
(a) Using particle-level reasoning, explain why the rate at which the ice melts differs for the two plates, even though both plates begin at the same temperature.
(b) Consider a sequence of atomic (or molecular) collisions that carries energy from the lower surface of each plate up to the ice. Compare how the spacing, bonding, and collective motion of particles in aluminum versus polystyrene influence the number and effectiveness of such collisions per unit time.
(c) Predict qualitatively how the melting time of the ice cube on the polystyrene plate would change if the plate’s thickness were reduced to one-third of its original value. Justify your prediction using the same microscopic collision model.