Why does a hot water bottle feel warm when you touch it?

• A. Because thermal energy is transferred from the hot water bottle to your skin.
• B. Because the hot water bottle contains more potential energy than your skin.
• C. Because the hot water bottle generates heat by chemical reaction with your skin.
• D. Because your skin absorbs light energy emitted by the bottle.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of thermal energy transfer: Heat always flows from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature until thermal equilibrium is reached.
2. Recognize that the hot water bottle has a higher temperature than your skin, meaning it contains more thermal energy in the form of kinetic energy of its molecules.
3. When you touch the hot water bottle, thermal energy is transferred from the bottle to your skin by conduction, which is the direct transfer of heat through molecular collisions.
4. This transfer of thermal energy increases the kinetic energy of the molecules in your skin, which your sensory receptors interpret as warmth.
5. Therefore, the sensation of warmth is due to the flow of thermal energy from the hot water bottle to your skin, not because of potential energy, chemical reactions, or light absorption.