Question

Explain why

(a) Two bodies at different temperatures T1 and T2 if brought in thermal contact do not necessarily settle to the mean temperature (T1 + T2)/2.

Answer 1

Explanation:

Two bodies at different temperatures T1 and T2 if brought in thermal contact do not necessarily settle to the mean temperature (T1 + T2)/2. When two bodies are in thermal contact, heat flows from the body at higher temperature to the body at lower temperature till temperatures becomes equal.

Answer 2

• When two bodies having different temperatures say, $\sf{T_1}$ and $\sf{T_2}$ are brought in thermal contact with each other, there is a flow of heat from the body at the higher temperature to the body at the lower temperature till both the body reaches to an equilibrium position, i.e., both the bodies are having equal temperature. The equilibrium temperature is only equal to the mean temperature when the thermal capacities of both the bodies are equal.