jjjsarnis said:question: on a sunny day at the beach, the reason the sand gets hot and the water stays relatively cool is attributed to the fdiffernce in which property between water and sand?
is it specific heat or thermal conduvtivitiy??
I agree with the low specific heat point. To undergo a temperature increase of one degree, the sand requires much less heat than water. So the same amount of heat/unit area incident upon sand and upon water will increase the temperature of the sand much more.Gokul43201 said:Both.
The low specific heat ensures that something receiving a smaller heat flux gains a larger increase in temperature. The low conductivity (which is mostly due to the poor thermal contact between sand grains) ensures that the temperature gradient created can be large for a given rate of downward heat removal.
The main reason behind sand getting hotter than water is because of the difference in their specific heat capacities. Water has a higher specific heat capacity than sand, which means it requires more energy to increase its temperature compared to sand. Therefore, sand heats up faster and to a higher temperature than water when exposed to the same amount of heat.
The color of sand does not have a significant impact on its temperature compared to water. The main factor is still the difference in their specific heat capacities. However, darker colored sand may absorb more heat from the sun and therefore become hotter than lighter colored sand.
Yes, the shape and size of sand particles can affect its temperature compared to water. Finer sand particles have a larger surface area, which allows them to absorb more heat from the sun and become hotter than larger sand particles. Additionally, the shape of the sand particles can affect their ability to retain heat, with rounder particles retaining heat better than angular particles.
Sand retains its heat longer than water because of its lower thermal conductivity. This means that it takes longer for heat to transfer through sand compared to water. Therefore, when the source of heat is removed, sand will continue to stay hot for a longer period compared to water.
Yes, the surrounding environment can affect the temperature of sand and water differently. For example, if the air temperature is hotter than the temperature of the water or sand, they will both heat up. However, since sand has a lower specific heat capacity, it will reach a higher temperature faster than water. On the other hand, if the air temperature is cooler than the temperature of sand and water, they will both cool down, but sand will retain its heat longer due to its lower thermal conductivity.