A cook places a pot of water over a flame on a stove. What will happen to the water molecules near the surface of the water?
a They will become more dense and sink.
b They will become less dense and sink.
c They will become more dense and rise.
d They will become less dense and rise.
d They will become less dense and rise.
a They will become more dense and sink.
You place a cool pot of water over the flame on a stove. Which is true?
bot You place a cool pot of water over the flame on a stove. Which is true?
To determine what will happen to the water molecules near the surface of the water when a pot of water is placed over a flame on a stove, we need to understand the process of heating and its effect on water molecules.
When the pot of water is heated, the flame transfers energy to the water molecules. As a result, the water molecules absorb this energy and begin to gain kinetic energy, causing them to move faster.
As the water molecules near the surface gain more kinetic energy, they become less dense compared to the colder, less energetic water molecules below. This is because the higher kinetic energy causes the water molecules to move farther apart from each other, resulting in a decrease in density.
Therefore, the answer to the question is:
b) They will become less dense and rise.
The increased kinetic energy and decrease in density of the water molecules near the surface cause them to rise, leading to the phenomenon of convection in the pot. This convection process helps to evenly distribute the heat throughout the water, resulting in a more uniform temperature.