Question

on the microscopic level, explain the concept of energy transfer as heat when a hand is placed in water that is 50 °c. body temperature is 37 °c.

Answer 1

Answer/Explanation:

Energy is transferred from a hotter object to a cooler object. This is largely because of the collision of the molecules of a hotter body with the molecules of a cooler body ultimately leading to a transfer of energy from the hotter body to the cooler body. This now makes the temperature of the cooler body to rise.

Remember that temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a body.

Therefore, since the water is at a higher temperature, energy is transferred from the water to the hand and the temperature of the hand rises accordingly.

When the temperature of an object increases, the average kinetic energy of its particles increases. When the average kinetic energy of its particles increases, the object's thermal energy increases. Therefore, the thermal energy of an object increases as its temperature increases.