Question

a student places a small cup of hot water inside a larger cup of cold water as shown in the diagram. water temperature experiment diagram: thermometer, thermometer, cold water 5 °c, hot water 20 °c which question can be answered by observing this investigation? a. how do thermometers measure the temperature of water? b. how does the temperature of the air above the water change? c. how long will it take for the water in both cups to reach the same temperature? d. how does heat move from the water in the large cup to the water in the small cup?

Explanation:

• Option A: The experiment doesn't show how thermometers work, just uses them to measure temperature. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The experiment focuses on water temperatures, not air temperature above water. Eliminate B.
• Option C: By observing the thermometers over time, we can determine how long it takes for both cups of water to reach the same temperature (thermal equilibrium). This is observable in the experiment.
• Option D: Heat moves from hot to cold, so from the small (hot) to large (cold) cup, not the other way. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. How long will it take for the water in both cups to reach the same temperature?