Why does an ice berg have more thermal energy than hot coffee?

This is a bit of a trick question! It's easy to get caught up in the idea that something that feels cold has less thermal energy than something that feels hot. However, thermal energy is a measure of the *total* energy of all the molecules in a substance.

Here's why an iceberg has more thermal energy than hot coffee:

* Mass: Icebergs are enormous! They have a vast amount of mass, even if the temperature is low.

* Specific Heat: Water has a high specific heat capacity. This means it takes a lot of energy to raise the temperature of water, and it also takes a lot of energy to lower its temperature.

Even though an iceberg is very cold, its immense size and the high specific heat of water mean it contains a massive amount of thermal energy.

In simpler terms: Imagine you have a tiny cup of boiling water and a giant swimming pool of cold water. The pool, even though it's cold, has far more water and therefore more energy.

Important Note: The iceberg's temperature is much lower than the coffee's temperature. This means the molecules in the coffee are moving faster and have more *kinetic* energy. But thermal energy is the total energy of all the molecules, and the iceberg wins that contest due to its sheer size.