The air around a pool and the water in the pool receive equal amounts of energy from the sun. Why does the air experience a greater increase in temperature than does the water?
A
The specific heat of water is less than that of air.
B
The specific heat of water is greater than that of air.
C
The latent heat of water is less than that of air.
D
The latent heat of water is greater than that of air.
B
The specific heat of water is greater than that of air.
B. The specific heat of water is greater than that of air.
Specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by a certain amount. Water has a higher specific heat than air, meaning it requires more energy to raise its temperature compared to air. Therefore, when the same amount of energy is absorbed by both the air and the water, the air will experience a greater increase in temperature because it has a lower specific heat.
To determine the correct answer, we need to understand the concepts of specific heat and latent heat.
Specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a given amount of a substance by a certain temperature. It is a measure of how much energy a substance can absorb or release as heat. The specific heat of water is relatively high compared to that of air, meaning that water requires a large amount of energy to change its temperature.
Latent heat, on the other hand, is the energy required to change the state of a substance without changing its temperature. It is the heat energy associated with phase changes, such as solid to liquid (melting) or liquid to gas (evaporation). Water has a relatively high latent heat compared to air, meaning that it requires a large amount of energy to change its state.
Now, let's analyze the options:
A. The specific heat of water is less than that of air.
This option is incorrect because the specific heat of water is actually greater than that of air.
B. The specific heat of water is greater than that of air.
This option is correct. As mentioned earlier, water has a higher specific heat compared to air. This means that it can absorb more heat energy for the same temperature change. Therefore, the air around the pool will experience a greater increase in temperature than the water itself.
C. The latent heat of water is less than that of air.
This option is incorrect because the latent heat of water is higher than that of air. Water's high latent heat plays a role in regulating temperature and contributes to its ability to store and release large amounts of energy during phase changes.
D. The latent heat of water is greater than that of air.
This option is incorrect because, as stated above, the latent heat of water is indeed higher than that of air.
Therefore, the correct answer is B. The specific heat of water is greater than that of air.