Dante pours hot tea into a cool mug. What will happen next?

What will happen when hot tea is poured into a cool mug?

A. The tea gets colder because it gains energy from the mug

B. Mug gets warmer because thermal energy transfers from the tea to the mug

C. Tea gets warmer because the mug acts as a thermal insulator

D. Mug gets cooler because it loses energy to the tea

E. Mug gets warmer because the tea creates more thermal energy inside of the mug

Answer:

Letter C. Tea gets warmer because the mug acts as a thermal insulator

When hot tea is poured into a cool mug, the heat from the tea will transfer to the mug. Even though the mug is initially cool, it will start to warm up as it absorbs the thermal energy from the hot tea. This is because the mug acts as a thermal insulator, trapping the heat and preventing it from escaping.

As a result, the tea will actually get warmer inside the mug due to the heat transfer to the walls of the mug. The mug helps to maintain the temperature of the tea by minimizing heat loss to the surrounding environment.