Q. 3.87 - An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Question

 On a hot day, the beach sand gets hot but the water stays cool. Would you predict that the specific hent of sand is higher or lower than that of water? Explain. 

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

As a result, the specific heat of sand is lower than that of water.

Find

Step 1:Given data

Find  the sand is higher or lower 

 specific hent of sand is higher or lower than that of water 

Step 2:Would you predict that the specific heat of sand is higher or lower than that of water

A substance's specific heat is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of that substance by one degree Celsius. $1°C$. The amount of heat given by the sun to sea water and beach sand is the same on a hot sunny day. However, the sand heats up faster than the water. This demonstrates that the amount of heat required to heat the sand is less. As a result, the specific heat of sand is lower than that of water.