In the experiment, you heated a sample of metal in a water bath and quickly removed and dried the sample prior to inserting it into the cold water "system". Why did you need to dry the sample prior to placing it into the cold water "system" a. The extra water might react with the metal which would ruin the sample.

b. Any residual hot water would have added to the heat transferred from the metal to the cold water "system".

c. The wet metal would not transfer any heat thus causing inaccuracy in you measurements.

d. The metal would oxidize in the presence of water thus ruining the sample

b

Explanation:

Provided the experiment is about the transfer of heat from one medium to another, any residual hot water on the metal would have added to the heat transferred from the metal to the cold water system.

The residual hot water on the metal posses its own heat and when such is transferred along with the metal into the cold water, the heat from the residual hot water will interfere with the measurement of the actual heat transferred to the cold water by the metal. Hence, the accuracy of the result would be impacted.

The correct option is b.

organisms are more likely to be more preserved in mud than sand because mud is moist and wet, while sand is very dry.