Question

kinetic energy in the kitchen
a student has science homework. the assignment is to find evidence to support the claim, \when an object experiences a change in kinetic energy, it transfers energy to another object or from another object.\
the student decides to make noodles for a snack while thinking about his homework. he puts water in a pot on the stove and turns the heat all the way up. he waits for the water to boil so he can add his noodles. as he waits, the heat from the burner warms the pot. the water inside the pot warms as well. the hotter the water gets, the more it moves and the more steam is produced as water vapor leaves the pot. heat energy from the burner is causing kinetic energy to build in the water. the student thinks about how he could use this in his homework and records these observations. the picture shows a drawing the student creates to show the motion of the water in the pot.
which additional observation could the student use to help support the claim in the passage?
a. the oil in the pan spreads out when it is poured.
b. the pan remains still as long as the popcorn pops.
c. a piece of popcorn stops moving after it bumps into another piece of popcorn.
d. when the student pours the popcorn, only a few pieces of popcorn are placed in the pan.

Explanation:

To support the claim about kinetic energy transfer, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Oil spreading is about fluid dynamics (surface tension/flow), not kinetic energy transfer between objects.
• Option B: The pan remaining still doesn’t show energy transfer related to kinetic energy change (popcorn popping involves internal energy, not kinetic energy transfer between pan and popcorn here).
• Option C: A popcorn piece stops moving after hitting another means its kinetic energy is transferred to the other piece (consistent with the claim of energy transfer when kinetic energy changes).
• Option D: Number of popcorn pieces in the pan is unrelated to kinetic energy transfer.

Answer:

C. A piece of popcorn stops moving after it bumps into another piece of popcorn.