Final answer:
False, heating sand and water to produce mortar above 40 degrees prior to mixing is not a standard practice, and it does not relate to their heat capacities. In a physics context, when comparing the heat capacities of sand and water, the procedure involves heating equal masses of both and recording temperature changes over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that one should heat sand and water to produce mortar above 40 degrees before mixing isn't accurate. When preparing mortar, the focus should not be on heating the materials but on mixing them at a suitable temperature to ensure proper curing. In the context of a physics experiment to compare the heat capacities of land (sand) and water, you would place equal masses of dry sand (or soil) and water into two small jars and then heat both for the same amount of time. However, this procedure is aimed at exploring the differences in how quickly substances heat up, which is different from the process of making mortar. For the physics experiment, you would record the final temperatures after heating and then continue to measure the temperature every 5 minutes for about 30 minutes after removing the jars from the heat source. This would show that water has a higher specific heat capacity than sand, meaning it takes longer to change its temperature.