Tara goes to the beach during the summertime. One morning she wades into the ocean before the Sun has risen and notices that the water in the ocean feels warmer than the sand on the beach. In the afternoon of the same day, she wades back into the ocean and observes that now the water in the ocean feels cooler than the sand on the beach.
Which of the following best explains the difference in temperature between the ocean and the sand?
Responses:
A. Water heats up at a slower rate than land, but cools down at a faster rate.
B. Water both heats up and cools down at a slower rate than land.
C. Water both heats up and cools down at a faster rate than land.
D. Water heats up at a faster rate than land, but cools down at a slower rate.
B. Water both heats up and cools down at a slower rate than land.
To determine the answer, we need to understand the concept of heat transfer and how it affects water and land differently.
Water has a higher specific heat capacity compared to land. Specific heat capacity refers to the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by a certain amount. In simpler terms, water requires more heat energy to change its temperature compared to land.
In the morning, when Tara wades into the ocean before the Sun has risen, the water in the ocean feels warmer than the sand on the beach. This is because overnight, the water in the ocean absorbed and retained more heat energy from the previous day's sunlight compared to the sand on the beach.
During the afternoon, when Tara wades back into the ocean, she observes that the water in the ocean feels cooler than the sand on the beach. This is because water not only heats up at a slower rate than land, but it also cools down at a faster rate. So, the water in the ocean loses heat energy more quickly than the sand on the beach due to its higher thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity.
Based on this explanation, the best answer to the question is:
A. Water heats up at a slower rate than land, but cools down at a faster rate.