Which direction will the energy transfer occur in and why?
2007-06-20 14:41:52 · 7 answers · asked by Answer Champion 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Heat transfers from hotter to colder, so the ice will definitely give up some of its heat to the colder freezer.
We could go into long-winded discussions based on the 2nd law of thermodynamics, or we could just keep in mind that entropy is always increasing, so heat effectively "flows downhill" from the warmer substance to the colder substance. It takes an input of work to push heat "uphill" from a colder substance to a warmer substance. Even then, we do it by adding to the overall entropy of the system & universe.
Entropy is a measure of "disorder" or randomness of the universe. It is understood that the overall randomness of the universe is increasing (or one could say that the well-ordered parts of the universe are becoming more random).
Eventually, the entire universe will be a cold, disordered mess of randomness, but I'm betting it will happen far in the future.
2007-06-20 14:46:49 · answer #1 · answered by Steve W 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The cold ice is warmer than the freezer and heat ALWAYS flows from hot to cold and can NEVER flow from Cold to Hot.
The Heat from the cold ice transfers to the colder freezer.
In so doing, the freezer works a little harder to remove the heat from the ice to bring it down to the freezer thermostat setting.
The heat removed goes into the refrigerant and vaporises some of it, then into the compressor and into the atmosphere of the room by way of the cooler/condenser at the back of the freezer.
2007-06-20 23:26:26 · answer #2 · answered by Norrie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Energy will transfer from the ice to the freezer. Because the ice is warmer than the freezer, heat will flow out of it as it cools to the temperature of the freezer.
2007-06-20 21:48:31 · answer #3 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
heat flows between items with different temperature going from the hotter to the colder. So, yes a heat transfer will occure!from the ice to the refrigerator cause the refrigerator is colder.
2007-06-20 21:48:54 · answer #4 · answered by mechEngineer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
energy will transfer from the warmer ice because heat always travels from warm to cooler , never the other way around. just the law of thermodynamics
2007-06-20 21:47:28 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it will travel in both directions. the warmer ice will be chilled by the colder fridge. and the fridge will warm due to the warmer ice.this will bring them to the same temp and then the fridge will kick back on and chill both the fridge and the ice back to the fridges original temperature.
2007-06-20 22:30:56 · answer #6 · answered by newtonman 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think the ice will get colder!
2007-06-20 21:44:48 · answer #7 · answered by Julie J 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋