During a class discussion on why an ice cube melts in warm soda, three students make the claims shown below.
Claim I: "Cold from the ice flows into the soda until both are equally cold."
Claim II: "Energy is transferred from the soda to the ice by collisions of particles at the interface."
Claim III: "The average kinetic energy of the ice particles increases until it equals that of the soda particles, and then energy transfer stops."
Analyze the claims.
(a) For each claim, indicate whether it is scientifically accurate or inaccurate.
(b) For every inaccurate claim, provide a corrected version that uses precise thermodynamic terminology.
(c) Justify each of your evaluations in part (a) by referencing the molecular-level mechanism of energy transfer and the concept of thermal equilibrium.