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.
To determine why the air around a pool experiences a greater increase in temperature than the water, we need to consider the concept of specific heat and latent heat.
Specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by a certain amount. It is determined by the nature and composition of the substance.
Latent heat, on the other hand, refers to the heat energy absorbed or released during a phase change (such as melting or vaporization) without a change in temperature.
Given that the air and water receive equal amounts of energy from the sun, we can eliminate the options C and D.
Now, to determine which option is correct, we compare the specific heat of water and air.
Option A states that the specific heat of water is less than that of air. This means that water requires less heat energy to increase its temperature compared to air. However, if this were the case, the water would experience a greater increase in temperature, contradicting the observation in the question. We can, therefore, eliminate option A.
This leaves us with option B, which states that the specific heat of water is greater than that of air. If the specific heat of water is greater, it means that water requires more heat energy to increase its temperature compared to air. Therefore, when both the air and water receive equal amounts of energy from the sun, the air will experience a greater increase in temperature than the water, supporting the observation in the question.
Therefore, the correct answer is B: The specific heat of water is greater than that of air.