Making a Convincing Argument
Kalani and Lael are students who have been comparing the total kinetic energy (thermal energy) of an iceberg to an ice cube. Read and compare their arguments. Then, answer the questions below.
Kalani’s Argument
My claim is that an iceberg has more total kinetic energy (thermal energy) than an ice cube. This is because even though an iceberg is about the same temperature as an ice cube, it is also much larger, so it is made of a lot more molecules. For this reason, an iceberg will have more total kinetic energy (thermal energy) than an ice cube.
Lael's Argument
An iceberg has more total kinetic energy (thermal energy) than an ice cube because it is larger and made of more molecules. This matters because molecules move, and moving things have kinetic energy, so each molecule adds its kinetic energy to the total. Since the iceberg and the ice cube are around the same temperature, the fact that the iceberg has extra molecules means that it will have more total kinetic energy (thermal energy).
Which argument is more convincing? What makes one argument more convincing than the other?