Background: For most substances, when the temperature of the solid is raised high enough, the substance changes to a liquid, and when the temperature of the liquid is raised high enough, the substance changes to a gas. We typically visualize a solid as tiny particles in constant motion held together by attractive forces. As we add heat to the solid, the motion, or the kinetic energy, of the particles increases. At some temperature, the motion of the particles becomes great enough to overcome the attractive forces. The thermal energy that was added to the solid up to this point was absorbed by the solid as kinetic energy, increasing the speed of the molecules. The lowest temperature at which the particles are able to exist in the liquid form is called the melting point .

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: Which ice cube will melt faster?
Answer: ice cube B

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: Which ice cube will melt slower?
Answer: Ice cube A

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: Is ice cube A or ice cube B closer to its melting point?
Answer: ice cube B

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: Is ice cube A or ice cube B farther from its melting point?
Answer: Ice cube A

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: Has ice cube B absorbed more or less thermal energy than ice cube A?
Answer: more

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: Has ice cube A absorbed more or less thermal energy than ice cube B?
Answer: less

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: Does ice cube B have more or less kinetic energy than ice cube A?
Answer: more

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: Does ice cube A have more or less kinetic energy than ice cube B?
Answer: less

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: The particles of which ice cube are moving faster?
Answer: ice cube B

Situation: As a science experiment for his school homework, Kendra is putting two ice cubes on separate pans and then putting those pans on burners set to different temperatures. Ice cube A is set on top of a burner set to a low temperature, and ice cube B is placed on a burner set quite a bite higher. One minute later, Kendra begins writing down what she sees happening to the ice cubes.

Question: The particles of which ice cube are moving slower?
Answer: Ice cube A