Question

What happens when thermal energy is applied to an ice cube

its water molecules gain potential energy

its water molecules lose potential energy

its water molecules gain kinetic energy and move around more

its water molecules lose kinetic enrergy so the ice cube melts

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

When thermal energy is applied to an ice cube, its temperature starts to rise. This increase in temperature causes the ice cube's water molecules to gain kinetic energy. The kinetic energy makes the water molecules move around more, causing the ice cube to melt.

To understand why this happens, it's helpful to know that objects, such as water molecules, possess both kinetic energy and potential energy. Kinetic energy is the energy associated with movement, while potential energy is the energy associated with position or stored energy.

Initially, in an ice cube, the water molecules are held in a fixed position, forming a rigid lattice structure. This structure prevents the water molecules from moving around freely and also gives them potential energy due to their position within the lattice.

When thermal energy is applied to the ice cube, it is transferred to the water molecules. This increase in thermal energy causes the water molecules to gain kinetic energy. As the water molecules gain kinetic energy, they start vibrating and moving more rapidly. This disrupts the rigid lattice structure of the ice and causes it to break down. Consequently, the ice cube melts and turns into liquid water.

Therefore, it can be concluded that when thermal energy is applied to an ice cube, its water molecules gain kinetic energy and move around more, leading to the melting of the ice cube.