Final answer:
The interior window surface temperature of a single-pane window will be lower than that of a double-pane window with an air gap, due to better insulation provided by the air gap which slows down thermal conduction. Option D is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question at hand involves understanding thermal conduction and how different types of windows insulate a space. When comparing a single-pane window to a double-pane window with an air gap, the interior window surface temperature of the single pane will be lower than that of the double pane when the interior temperature is greater than the exterior.
This is because the double-pane window with the air gap provides better insulation due to the air gap's resistance to thermal conduction, reducing the rate of heat loss from the interior to the exterior, consequently keeping the interior surface of the window warmer compared to a single-pane window.
For a more practical understanding, let us consider the transfer of heat through both types of windows with given thicknesses and surface temperatures. The double-pane window's air gap acts as an insulation layer, slowing down the heat transfer in comparison to the single-pane window, which lacks this insulating feature.
Thus, if we had a double-pane window with each pane being 0.800-cm-thick glass and separated by a 1.00-cm air gap, and a single-pane window of 1.60-cm thickness, the single-pane window would allow more heat to escape than the double-pane. This would result in a greater temperature drop on the interior surface of the single-pane window, making it cooler than the double-pane window's interior surface.