Use the information about melting icebergs and your science knowledge. Melting Icebergs

Icebergs often form when large pieces of ice from land-based ice sheets and glaciers break off into the surrounding ocean water. These icebergs can have many shapes and sizes, ranging from only sixteen feet across to as wide as a small country. The number of icebergs in an ocean at any one time also varies. Scientists studying icebergs have observed that smaller icebergs melt at different rates than larger icebergs.

A group of students designed a classroom investigation to study the melting process for ice pieces of different sizes. They will use their results to build a model explaining why icebergs with different sizes melt at different rates.

For the experiment, the students started with an ice block that had the same total mass of ice as several ice cubes. The students placed the ice block and ice cubes in separate containers with water. The water in both containers started at the same temperature. They then measured the amount of time needed for the large block of ice and several smaller ice cubes to melt. The experiment setup for the ice baths is shown in Figure 1. The date in the table shows the starting conditions of the experiment just as the ice was added to the water.

Question
The students observed that the smaller ice cubes in Ice Bath 2 melted faster than the larger ice block in Ice Bath 1.

Based on the ice bath setup in Figure 1, which statement best explains why several smaller ice cubes melt faster than a larger block of ice?

A Small ice cubes have more surface area in contact with the liquid water, so more thermal energy is transferred from the water to the ice. Small ice cubes have more surface area in contact with the liquid water, so more thermal energy is transferred from the water to the ice.

B Smaller ice cubes have more surface area in contact with the liquid water, so more thermal energy is transferred from the ice to the water. Smaller ice cubes have more surface area in contact with the liquid water, so more thermal energy is transferred from the ice to the water.

C A larger ice block has more surface area in contact with the liquid water, so less thermal energy is transferred from the ice to the water. A larger ice block has more surface area in contact with the liquid water, so less thermal energy is transferred from the ice to the water.

D A larger ice block has more surface area in contact with the liquid water, so less thermal energy is transferred from the water to the ice. A larger ice block has more surface area in contact with the liquid water, so less thermal energy is transferred from the water to the ice.