Question

Describe a situation in which heat transfer occurs. What are the resulting forms of energy?

Short answer

Heat transfer occurs when a metallic spoon is dipped in hot soup. The resulting energy is thermal energy.

Step-by-step solution

Step1:Describe an example in which the heat transfer occurs

Heat transfer occurs when there is a variation in temperature between two bodies. Consider a situation in which a metallic spoon is dipped in a bowl carrying hot soup. Initially, the spoon will be cold while the soup is hot. But, after some time, we can experience heat at the handle of the spoon.

So, heat transfer occurs in this situation. Heat is transferred from the hot soup to the spoon. This transfer of heat continues until the temperature of the spoon and the soup become equal.

Find the resulting forms of energy.

In this situation, the particles in the spoon will vibrate and collide with the neighboring particles when the spoon is dipped in the soup. The kinetic energy of the particles increases during this energy transfer. So, the tip of the spoon heats first, and due to the collision of molecules, this heat will reach the handle of the spoon. This form of energy is called thermal energy, and it is caused by the variation of temperature between soup and spoon.

Thermal energy is the resulting energy during the heat transfer between a hot soup and a metallic spoon.