On a sunny day, the dry beach is much warmer than the nearby water because?

Question

A water warms much more slowly than land.

B the water absorbs the heat energy faster than land.

C land warms more slowly than water.

D none of the above

Answer 1

Do your own homework!  This is shameful.

Answer 2

A.

Water has a higher specific heat than land, thus it takes longer for water to heat than the land.  The land absorbs the incoming solar radiation faster, and thus to restore energy balance, warms quicker in order to radiate the absorbed energy outward.

Water absorbs the solar energy at a slower rate, and thus heats slower, but water is a better retainer of heat energy than land, which is why it likewise cools slower than land.

Answer 3

A...The water warms much more slowly than the sand for two reasons.

1..The Heat Capacity of water is greater than that of dry sand and has to absorb more heat per °C (or°F).

2..As Heat is entering the water it causes an increasing evaporation rate.

Evaporation requires heat energy which partly comes from the heat of the sun and partly from the water itself. This keeps the temperature increase of the water to a much slower rate.

Answer 4

B. the water absorbs the heat energy faster than land.

The heat moves quickly through the water, and is spread out. All the heat that hits the land is concentrated at the surface, and doesn't spread much at all.

It's not just absorbsion, it's also that the water has active currents of convetion.