Water has a much higher specific heat capacity than sand. On a sunny day the sand on a beach becomes much hotter than the sea. Which statement best explains...
Question 1 Report
Water has a much higher specific heat capacity than sand. On a sunny day the sand on a beach becomes much hotter than the sea. Which statement best explains this difference?
Answer Details
The equation \(E = mc\Delta T\) can be rearranged to \(\Delta T = \frac{E}{mc}\). For a given energy input \(E\) and a given mass \(m\), the temperature rise \(\Delta T\) is inversely proportional to the specific heat capacity \(c\).
Water has a very high specific heat capacity (about 4200 J/(kg °C)), while sand has a much lower one (roughly 800 J/(kg °C)). When the Sun delivers roughly the same energy to both the sand and the sea, the sand - with its lower specific heat capacity - undergoes a much larger temperature rise. This is why beach sand feels burning hot underfoot while the sea remains relatively cool on the same sunny day.
Water does not reflect all sunlight, and sand being darker does not give it a higher specific heat capacity (in fact the opposite reasoning would apply). The difference is fundamentally about how much energy each material needs to raise its temperature by one degree.
Download The App On Google Playstore
Everything you need to excel in your exams
