Suppose you heat up an oven and boil a pot of water. Which of the following explains why you would be burned by sticking your hand briefly in the pot but not by sticking your hand briefly in the oven? The oven has a higher temperature than the water. The oven has a higher heat content than the water. The molecules in the water are moving faster than the molecules in the oven. The water has a higher heat content than the oven because of density. The water has a higher temperature than the oven.

The reason you would get burned by sticking your hand in boiling water but not in the oven relates to the way heat transfer works. Water is very efficient at transferring heat because it is a liquid and has high thermal conductivity. When you dip your hand in boiling water, the energy from the water quickly transfers to your skin, causing a burn. On the other hand, air in the oven, being less dense and a poor conductor, does not transfer heat as rapidly, allowing for a brief touch without immediate burns. Additionally, the temperature of boiling water is typically 100°C (212°F) at sea level, while the internal temperature of an oven can vary widely, often reaching much higher temperatures. However, the rapid heat transfer from the water contributes significantly more to the likelihood of burns than simply temperature alone, as water molecules are in constant motion and can collide with your skin more efficiently than air molecules in an oven.