In a room there are two completely identical metal balls. One is lying on a table and the other is hanging on a cable attached to the ceiling. At the same moment, 1 Joule of heat energy is applied to each of them. Immediately after that, the balls are perfectly insulated, such that absolutely no heat transfer is possible.
Which one is the coldest?

(In reply to Another guess (solution?) by ajosin)

Potential energy.  I've always had a problem with potential energy.  (It really is my thought process behind potential energy though.)  Does potential energy translate to heat, I guess it would since it is part of total energy, but to me it would not seem to.  To me potential energy is more of a concept and not really a measurable existent energy, which of course defies the first law of thermodynamics.  (Energy can neither be created nor destroyed)  (i.e. when potential energy transforms into kinetic energy it had to exist in the form of potential energy in the first place.)  AHHH!  Maybe I should blow the scientific community away with John's Law's of Thermodynamics, Haha.

Posted by john on 2005-04-06 18:14:30