Chapter 22, Problem 16A

Which will undergo the greater rate of cooling, a red-hot poker in a warm oven or a red-hot poker in a cold room (or do both cool at the same rate)?

To determine

To Compare: A red hot poker in a warm oven and a red hot poker in a cold room based on their rate of cooling.

Answer to Problem 16A

The red hot poker in a cold room will cool faster.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

When a warm body is placed in a hot environment like oven, then its rate of cooling decreases as compared to the warm body placed in a cold environment.

A red-hot poker when placed in the oven does not cool faster;instead, its temperature may increase further. On the other hand, a red-hot poker when placed in a cold room will cool fast as the temperature of the environment makes it cool. The thermal energy flows from higher energy levels to lower energy levels. And so, the hot object radiates its energy in the cold environment.

Conclusion:

Hence, the red-hot poker in a cold room will cool faster.