A wooden walkway and a sandy beach are at the same temperature. The sand feels much hotter because it has a greater ____.
A)entropy
B)insulation capacity
C)suface area
D)thermal conductivity
D)thermal conductivity
The correct answer is D) thermal conductivity.
To understand why the sand feels much hotter than the wooden walkway, we need to consider the concept of thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity refers to the ability of a material to conduct heat. The higher the thermal conductivity, the better it is at conducting heat.
In this scenario, both the wooden walkway and the sandy beach are at the same temperature, which means they have the same amount of heat energy. However, the sand feels much hotter because it has a greater thermal conductivity compared to the wooden walkway.
When you walk on the sand, the heat energy is quickly transferred from the sand to your feet due to the high thermal conductivity of the sand. As a result, you perceive the sand as being hotter. On the other hand, the wooden walkway has a lower thermal conductivity, so it does not conduct the heat energy as effectively, making it feel cooler to the touch.
Therefore, the answer to the question is D) thermal conductivity.