Student Guide - Why Does Sand at The Beach Feel Hot, Even When The Water Feels Cool
Student Guide - Why Does Sand at The Beach Feel Hot, Even When The Water Feels Cool
The challenge
If you’ve ever been to the beach on a sunny
day in the middle of summer, you’ve probably
experienced how hot the sand feels on your
bare feet, even though the water
temperature feels cool. Maybe you’ve had a
similar experience walking on the hot
concrete of a pool deck on your way to a
refreshing swim.
Even though the same sunlight is shining on the water and the sand or concrete, the
temperature of the water doesn’t rise as much. What causes this difference? What factors
affect how much the temperature of a substance changes when a given amount of thermal
energy is transferred into or out of it? In this activity, you’ll investigate those factors and
use your knowledge to develop an explanation.
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Setting the stage
We often say that something in our environment “feels hot” or “feels cold.” These
sensations are due to thermal energy transfer between our bodies and our surroundings.
In order to understand this process and others related to it, we need to keep in mind some
key concepts.
First of all, we should remember that asystemis a group of components that interests us
in a particular scenario. Everything outside the system is designated as thesurroundings.
When considering thermal energy transfer, it is important to define clearly what the
system is, so that we can notice if energy is moving into or out of the system.
When we think about quantifying something in terms of how “hot” or “cold” it is, we often
think about its temperature.Temperatureis a measureof the average (circle one)
kinetic/potentialenergy of the particles in a system.This kind of energy is related to the
___________________________________ of the particles.
● As particles move faster, their kinetic energy (circle one)increases/decreases, and
temperature (circle one)increases/decreases.
● As particles move more slowly, their kinetic energy (circle one)
increases/decreases, and temperature (circle one)increases/decreases.
Thermal energyis thesumof the kinetic energy ofallthe particles in a system in units of
joules. The thermal energy in a system depends not only on the average kinetic energy of
the particles (temperature), but also on the number of particles present. Therefore, a
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bucket of water at 25oC
will have (circle one)more/less/the samethermal energy
compared to a swimming pool of water at 25oC.
The direction of heat transfer is always from a component with (circle one)lower/higher
temperature to a component with (circle one)lower/highertemperature. Heat transfer
continues until the components reach the same temperature, meaning that the average
kinetic energy of the particles is the same in both components. When a system reaches
this point where temperature remains constant, we say it is atthermal equilibrium.
Particles continue to move around and collide, but kinetic energy, on average, is now
evenly distributed among the particles, so no net transfer of thermal energy will occur.
Consider a scenario where two components at different temperatures come into contact
within a system. Component A has a temperature of 25oC
when it comes into contact with
component B, which has a temperature of 150oC. Whatdo you expect will happen?
The amount of heat transferred when components of different temperatures come in
contact depends on several factors, which you will investigate in this activity. The heat
transferred to or from a particular component can be calculated using the equation:
𝑞 = 𝑚𝑐Δ𝑇
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In this equation,𝑞is the amount of heat transferred (in joules),𝑚is the mass of the
component (in grams),𝑐is the specific heat capacityof the component (in J/goC), andΔ𝑇
is
the final temperature minus the initial temperature of the component (inoC).
The sign of𝑞tells us the direction in which heattransfer occurs with respect to our system
or a specific component within the system. A negative valueof𝑞indicates thermal energy
(circle one)entering/leavingthe component. A positivevalue of𝑞indicates thermal
energy (circle one)entering/leavingthe component.
Now that you’ve reviewed some key concepts, let’s investigate thermal energy transfer
and develop an explanation for why sand on a beach feels so hot, even when the water
feels cool.
● Lab notebook or other paper for recording experimental data and responses to
Follow-up questions(optional, not necessary if completingdigitally)
● water
● ice
● 25 g copper (wire, nails, or shot)
● 25 g lead (wire, fishing weights, or shot)
● 25 g glass (marbles or beads)
● 1 Styrofoam cup (Styrofoam is a registered trademark, but any polystyrene foam
cup will work)
● 2 beakers-250 mL (or other similar sized heat-resistant containers)
● 1 beaker-500 mL (or other similar sized heat-resistant container)
● 3 extra-large test tubes
● tape/marker for labeling test tubes
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● 1 test tube holder
● 1 balance (or kitchen scale)
● 1 weighboat (or small container for measuring mass on the balance)
● 2 thermometers
● 1 hotplate
● 1 heat-resistant mitt
● 1 insulated pad
● 1 strainer
In this experiment, you will combine water samples at different temperatures and observe
how heat transfers between the components of a system. The diagram below shows water
at room temperature in a Styrofoam cup, water being heated on a hotplate, and water in
an ice bath.
Experimental procedure:
1. Place a Styrofoam cup on the balance and zero it. Add water to the cup until the mass
reads ~25 g. Record the mass of the water in the cup to the nearest tenth of a gram in
the data table below.
● Tip:Since the density of water is 1 g/mL, it willtake approximately 25 mL of
water to reach 25 g on the balance.
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2. Place the Styrofoam cup inside a medium-sized (250-400 mL) beaker or similar
container to prevent it from getting knocked over. Use a thermometer to measure the
temperature of the water, and record it in the data table below (initial temperature of
water in cup). Leave the thermometer in the cup while you move on to the next steps.
● Tip:It may take some time for the water, thermometer,and surroundings to
reach thermal equilibrium. After placing the thermometer in the water, wait a
few minutes before recording the temperature. Make sure the thermometer is
giving a constant reading before recording the value.
3. Place a 250 mL beaker on the balance and zero it. Add water to the beaker until the
mass reads ~25 g. Record the mass of the water to the nearest tenth of a gram in the
data table below (mass of water heated/cooled).
4. Put the beaker on a hotplate and place a thermometer in the water. Carefully heat the
beaker until the water boils and its temperature reaches ~100oC. Record the
temperature of the water to the nearest tenth of a degree in the data table below
(initial temperature of water heated/cooled).
● Caution:Do not look directly down into the beakeror hold your hand over the
beaker while heating the water. Steam coming off the surface may cause burns.
5. Remove the thermometer from the beaker, and turn off the hotplate. One team
member should prepare to read the thermometer in the Styrofoam cup, while another
team member should get a heat-resistant mitt and insulated pad.
● Caution:Hot glassware looks the same as cool glassware.Do not touch the
beaker with your bare hands. Always use the heat-resistant mitt.
● Caution:Hot glassware may crack if placed directlyon a cool surface. Always
place hot glassware on an insulated pad when removing it from the hotplate.
6. When everyone is ready, use the heat-resistant mitt to carefully pour the heated water
into the Styrofoam cup. Gently stir the water with the thermometer 2-3 times, then
watch carefully to see when the temperature stops rising—this will be the thermal
equilibrium temperature. Record this value in the data table below as the final
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temperature of all water in the cup.
● Tip:Be sure to keep a close eye on the thermometeras soon as the heated
water is added to the cup. The change may occur very quickly, and you want to
make sure you don’t miss it!
7. When you are done observing and recording the thermal equilibrium temperature for
trial #1, carefully pour the water from the cup into the sink, and wipe up any spills.
Repeat steps 1-6, but this time, in step 4, heat the water to only ~50oC. Be sure to
record all mass and temperature measurements in the data table below.
8. When you are done observing and recording the thermal equilibrium temperature for
trial #2, carefully pour the water from the cup into the sink, and wipe up any spills.
9. To begin trial #3, set up an ice bath by filling a 500 mL beaker halfway with ice and
water. Then, repeat steps 1-3. Be sure to record all mass and temperature
measurements in the data table below.
10.Once you have massed 25 g of water in the 250 mL beaker, gently place the beaker into
the ice bath. Put a thermometer in the beaker and monitor the temperature until it
reaches ~0oC
. Record the temperature of the waterto the nearest tenth of a degree in
the data table below (initial temperature of water heated/cooled).
● Tip:The temperature of the water may not reach 0oC. It is okay to proceed if
the temperature is a few degrees above zero. Just make sure you record the
actual value from the thermometer in the data table.
11.Remove the thermometer from the beaker. When one team member is prepared to
read the thermometer in the Styrofoam cup, carefully remove the beaker from the ice
bath, and pour the cooled water into the Styrofoam cup. Gently stir the water with the
thermometer 2-3 times, then watch carefully to see when the temperature stops
falling—this will be the thermal equilibrium temperature. Record this value in the data
table below as the final temperature of all water in the cup.
12.When you are done observing and recording the thermal equilibrium temperature for
trial #3, carefully pour the water from the cup into the sink, and wipe up any spills.
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Let’s make a prediction!
For trial #4, you will heat ~50 g of water to ~100oC
and add it to ~25 g of room
temperature water in a Styrofoam cup. How do you predict the thermal equilibrium
temperature will compare to trial #1, where you used ~25 g of water at ~100oC? Explain
your reasoning.
13.Once you have made your predictions, repeat steps 1-6, but this time, in step 3,
measure ~50 g of water in the beaker. Be sure to record all mass and temperature
measurements in the data table below.
14.When you are done observing and recording the thermal equilibrium temperature for
trial #4, carefully pour the water from the cup into the sink, and wipe up any spills.
ass of water
M
heated/cooled (g)
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Follow-up questions (Part 1)
1. If we consider the system to be the water originally in the Styrofoam cup and the
water added to the Styrofoam cup, sketch two different models to show how heat
transfers between the components in the system when:
a. water from the hotplate is added
b. water from the ice bath is added
Use arrows to show the direction of heat transfer in each scenario.
2. Use your experimental data as evidence to support the models you sketched above.
3. What effect did increasing the mass of the heated water have on the amount of heat
transferred within the system? Use your experimental data as evidence to support
your claim.
4. In addition to mass, what other variable affected the amount of heat transferred
within the system? Use your experimental data as evidence to support your claim.
5. You measured the thermal equilibrium temperature of the system when the
temperature stopped going up (hot water added) or when it stopped going down (cold
water added). What would you expect to happen to the temperature of the system, in
either case, if you left the cup of water sitting out on the table for an hour after you
finished the experiment? Explain your reasoning with words and diagrams.
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Investigation (Part 2): Heat transfer between water and other materials
In this experiment, you will heat different materials to ~100o C and observe how heat
transfers when each one is added to room temperature water. The diagram below shows
water at room temperature in a Styrofoam cup and another material in a test tube being
heated in a water bath on a hotplate.
Experimental procedure:
1. Prepare a hot water bath by filling a 500 mL beaker about three-quarters of the way
full with water, placing it on a hotplate, and turning on the hotplate to high.
3. Using a balance and a weightboat, measure ~25 g of copper (Cu) and transfer it to
extra-large test tube #1. Record the mass of the copper to the nearest tenth of a gram
in the data table below.
4. Repeat step 3 for lead (test tube #2) and glass (test tube #3). Be sure to record the
mass of each material to the nearest tenth of a gram in the data table below.
5. Carefully place all three test tubes in the hot water bath so that the materials are fully
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submerged. If the water in the beaker does not completely cover all of the materials in
the test tubes, carefully add more water to the bath, and continue heating.
6. As in Part 1, place a Styrofoam cup on the balance and zero it. Add water to the cup
until the mass reads ~25 g. Record the mass of the water in the cup to the nearest
tenth of a gram in the data table below.
7. Place the Styrofoam cup inside a medium-sized (250-400 mL) beaker or similar
container to prevent it from getting knocked over. Use a thermometer to measure the
temperature of the water, and record it in the data table below (initial temperature of
water in cup). Leave the thermometer in the cup while you move on to the next steps.
● Tip:It may take some time for the water, thermometer,and surroundings to
reach thermal equilibrium. After placing the thermometer in the water, wait a
few minutes before recording the temperature. Make sure the thermometer is
giving a constant reading before recording the value.
8. When the water in the hot water bath begins to boil, place a thermometer in the bath.
Since the test tubes and their contents should be in thermal equilibrium with the water
bath, we can record the temperature of the bath as the initial temperature of the
materials. Record the water bath temperature to the nearest tenth of a degree in the
data table below as theinitial temperature of thecopper sample.
9. One team member should prepare to read the thermometer in the Styrofoam cup,
while another team member should get a test tube holder and/or a heat-resistant mitt.
When everyone is ready, use the test tube holder (or a heat-resistant mitt) to carefully
grasp test tube #1, remove it from the hot water bath, and pour the heated copper into
the Styrofoam cup. Gently stir the water with the thermometer 2-3 times, then watch
carefully to see when the temperature stops rising—this will be the thermal
equilibrium temperature. Record this value in the data table below as the final
temperature of the water and material in the cup.
10.When you are done observing and recording the thermal equilibrium temperature for
trial #1, carefully pour the water and copper mixture through a strainer over the sink.
Transfer the copper to a paper towel to dry, and wipe up any spills.
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11.Carry out steps 6-10 using lead (Pb) from test tube #2. Be sure to record all mass and
temperature measurements in the data table below.
12.When you are done observing and recording the thermal equilibrium temperature for
trial #2, carefully pour the water and lead mixture through a strainer over the sink.
Transfer the lead to a paper towel to dry, and wipe up any spills.
13.Carry out steps 6-10 using glass from test tube #3. Be sure to record all mass and
temperature measurements in the data table below.
14.When you are done observing and recording the thermal equilibrium temperature for
trial #3, carefully pour the water and glass mixture through a strainer over the sink.
Transfer the glass to a paper towel to dry, and wipe up any spills.
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Follow-up questions (Part 2)
1. If we consider the system to be the water originally in the Styrofoam cup and the
material added to the water in the cup, sketch a model to show how heat transfers
between the components in the system.
2. What variables were kept constant for all three trials in Part 2?
3. Fill in the table below by calculating the change in temperature of each material and
the change in temperature of the water in the Styrofoam cup for each trial. List the 4
substances (the three materials and water) in order from the largest change in
temperature to the smallest change in temperature.
Trial # Material (Tfinal -Tinitial) for material (Tfinal -Tinitial) for water in cup
1
2
3
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4. Each substance has a characteristic specific heat capacity. Based on your temperature
data and the table of accepted specific heat capacity values below, what is the
relationship between the specific heat capacity of a substance and the degree to which
its temperature changes when a given amount of heat is transferred per unit mass?
Use evidence from your experiment to support your claim.
water (H2O
) 4.184
glass 0.840
5. The accepted specific heat capacity values for iron and aluminum are listed in the table
above. Imagine that you carried out the same experiment as in Part 2 using these two
metals. Refer to your response for question #3—where would you place iron and
aluminum in the order from largest to smallest change in temperature? Explain your
reasoning.
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6. Use your experimental data, the specific heat capacity of water (4.184 J/goC), and the
equation𝑞 = 𝑚𝑐Δ𝑇to calculate the amount of heattransferred to the water in the
Styrofoam cup when the heated copper was added in trial #1.
7. Does the heat transferred to water (𝑞) have a positiveor negative sign? Explain what
the sign tells you.
8. Based on your answers above, how much heat was transferred from the copper to the
water? Will this𝑞value for copper have a positiveor negative sign? Explain your
reasoning.
9. Use your experimental data, the𝑞value from question#8, and the equation
𝑞 = 𝑚𝑐Δ𝑇to calculate the specific heat capacityof copper.
10.Compare the experimental value you calculated for the specific heat capacity of
copper to the accepted value given in the table above. Is your value close to the
accepted value? What are some sources of error in the design of the experiment that
might cause your value to be different from the accepted value?
11.Taking into account the sources of error that you identified above and what you know
about effective experimental design, what are some changes you would make to the
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procedure and setup in Part 2? What would you do to improve the accuracy of your
experimental value for the specific heat capacity of copper?
Keep creating!
We’ve seen that the specific heat capacity of a material has an impact on the degree to
which its temperature changes when a given amount of heat is transferred per unit mass.
Use your understanding of this relationship and your model of heat transfer to create a
pamphlet you could hand out at the beach. The pamphlet should address the following
questions:
● Why does the sand feel so much hotter than the water, even though both are
experiencing the same solar radiation on a sunny summer day?
● When your feet come in contact with the sand, what happens, in terms of thermal
energy transfer, to cause it to “feel hot?”
● When your feet come in contact with the water, what happens in terms of thermal
energy transfer, to cause it to “feel cool?”
Make your pamphlet colorful, engaging, and informative. Brainstorm and research other
natural phenomena related to specific heat capacity and/or examples where the specific
heat capacity of a material is utilized to address an engineering challenge. Include at least
one of these in your pamphlet.
Below are some ideas for how you can use your creativity and your understanding of heat
transfer and specific heat capacity to generate new ideas and solutions.
● In this investigation, you used a Styrofoam cup to carry out each heat transfer
experiment in order to limit the “loss” of thermal energy from the system to the
surroundings. Styrofoam (or any polystyrene foam) is considered an “insulator,”
meaning it does not allow thermal energy to transfer readily through the material.
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Styrofoam cups are typically used to keep coffee or tea from decreasing in
temperature. At the same time, items that need to remain at low temperatures are
often packed in Styrofoam containers for shipping. Do some research to learn more
about foam insulation, and create a model showing how it works both to keep some
things “hot” and to keep other things “cold.”
● The ocean plays an essential role in regulating Earth’s climate by absorbing solar
radiation, storing it, and distributing it around the planet. Do some research to
learn more about how water’s specific heat capacity allows the ocean to act as a
“heat sink,” to moderate regional temperatures, and to slow global warming. Design
an interactive exhibit for a science center that can teach other people about what
you learned.
● Different building materials, such as brick, concrete, steel, or glass, have different
levels of thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity is a measure of the rate at
which materials conduct thermal energy, and it is important in determining the
amount of energy needed to maintain comfortable environmental conditions inside
a building. Do some research to learn more about thermal conductivity in building
materials, then use your knowledge to design an energy efficient building. Create a
short slide show or brochure to pitch your design. Be sure to explain how you chose
your materials and how they will contribute to the building’s energy efficiency.
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