Thermal energy tends to disperse or spread out over time through the process of heat transfer. It can be transferred through conduction, convection, or radiation to the surrounding environment, leading to a decrease in the temperature of the system generating the thermal energy. Ultimately, thermal energy will continue to spread out and equalize until thermal equilibrium is reached with the surroundings.
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The delay in transfer of thermal energy from outside to inside is called thermal lag or time lag. This phenomenon occurs due to the time it takes for heat to transfer through materials such as walls, floors, or roofs.
The sum of their temperatures would likely decrease over time as the coffee cools down and the ice cream melts, transferring thermal energy to the surrounding environment.
Friction between moving objects can convert kinetic energy into thermal energy. For example, when a car brakes, the kinetic energy of the moving car is transformed into thermal energy due to friction between the brake pads and the wheels.
Thermal energy from the sun causes cracks in the road through a process called thermal expansion and contraction. When the road surface heats up, it expands, and when it cools down, it contracts. This repeated expansion and contraction over time can lead to cracks forming.
Since power is defined as energy/time, if you solve for energy, you get:energy = power x timeIf the time is in seconds and the power in watts, the energy is in joules.