Question

practice it!
select the statement that accurately summarizes how heat energy spreads throughout a substance.

• particles are heated and move around. they transfer thermal energy to the other particles as they bump into each other. this continues until all the particles lose all of their energy and motion stops.
• heated particles absorb the energy and begin to move more and faster. as they move around, they bump into nearby particles and transfer some of their energy to those particles. this continues until all the particles in the substance have the same amount of energy.
• when particles are heated, they become sluggish and slow down. they transfer energy to nearby particles, causing them to slow down, too.
• as a particle is heated, it absorbs energy. as it bumps into a nearby particle, it transfers all the heat energy to the second particle. this leaves the first particle with no energy, so its movement slows.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option 1: The statement says particles lose all energy and motion stops, which is incorrect as heat transfer doesn't stop all motion/energy.
2. Analyze Option 2: Heated particles absorb energy, move faster, transfer some energy to neighbors, and this continues until all have same energy. This matches the concept of heat transfer (like conduction) where energy spreads until thermal equilibrium (same energy level).
3. Analyze Option 3: Heated particles should speed up, not slow down initially, so this is incorrect.
4. Analyze Option 4: Particles don't transfer all energy (leaving first with no energy) as energy transfer is about sharing until equilibrium, not complete transfer to stop motion.

Answer:

B. Heated particles absorb the energy and begin to move more and faster. As they move around, they bump into nearby particles and transfer some of their energy to those particles. This continues until all the particles in the substance have the same amount of energy.