Melting ice is the process of a solid substance changing into a liquid state, caused by an increase in temperature. In this scenario, the heat from the steel at 150°C is transferred to the ice, causing it to melt.
The steel needs to be at 150°C because it needs to have a higher temperature than the ice in order to transfer heat and melt the ice. If the steel was at a lower temperature, the ice would not melt.
The steel will remain at 150°C until the heat is turned off or transferred to another object. Once the ice has fully melted, the steel will continue to radiate heat until it reaches the temperature of its surroundings.
Yes, the amount of ice and steel will affect the melting process. The more ice there is, the longer it will take for all of it to melt. Similarly, if there is more steel, it will take longer for the steel to cool down to the temperature of the surroundings.
The melting process can also be affected by the type of material the ice and steel are resting on, the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment, and the presence of any other external heat sources.