Energy Transfer: What Happens When Eric Pours Iced Tea into a Glass

Understanding Energy Transfer

Eric pours some iced tea into a glass. When he puts the iced tea in the glass, the energy of the glass decreases. What must be true of the energy of the iced tea?

Iced tea's energy increases while the energy of the glass decreases because when the ice in the tea starts to melt, the molecules gain kinetic energy which raises the overall energy of the tea. Meanwhile, the glass absorbs some of this energy in the form of heat, causing its energy to decrease. This phenomenon showcases the transfer of energy from one object to another.

What is energy?
Energy is the capacity for doing work. It may exist in potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, or other forms. In the case of the iced tea and the glass, thermal energy is being transferred due to the difference in temperature between the two objects.

Conclusion
Iced tea's energy increases while the energy of the glass decreases because the ice is getting warmer, causing a transfer of thermal energy to the glass. This interaction is a fundamental example of how energy can be transferred from one object to another depending on the conditions.

Eric pours some iced tea into a glass. When he puts the iced tea in the glass, the energy of the glass decreases. What must be true of the energy of the iced tea?

Iced tea's energy increases while the energy of the glass decreases because the ice is getting warmer so the glass is also getting warmer, meaning that the glass is decreasing in energy while the iced tea is increasing in energy. Hence, iced tea's energy increases while the energy of the glass decreases.

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