Question

The fact that desert sand is very hot in the day and very cold at night is evidence that the specific heat capacity of sand is relatively ________.

1) low
2) high
3) constant
4) variable

Answer 1

The fact that desert sand heats up and cools down quickly is evidence of its low specific heat capacity, revealing that it takes little heat to change its temperature.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fact that desert sand is very hot in the day and very cold at night is evidence that the specific heat capacity of sand is relatively low. Specific heat capacity is defined as the amount of heat one gram of a substance must absorb or lose to change its temperature by one degree Celsius.

Because sand changes temperature quickly, heating up rapidly during the day and cooling down quickly at night, it indicates that it does not require much heat to change its temperature, hence a low specific heat capacity. In contrast, water has a high specific heat capacity, which is why it takes a long time to heat up and cool down.