Land and Water Experiment
Learning Target
Students will observe the differences between the rates at which land and water absorb heat energy.
Success Criteria
I can describe the differences in the way that land and water absorb heat energy.
Questions to Ponder
How is weather close to the ocean different from weather close to land?
Land and Water Experiment
In this lab we will attempt to answer the following question:
Why are temperatures different near the coasts and inland?
Observe this image:
You may notice that the average temperatures near the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts are higher than they are farther away from the coasts (or inland.)
Explanation (Scientific Reasoning)
The reason we had the results that were observed in both experiments is because water has a higher Specific Heat Capacity than land.
Specific Heat Capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1℃.
Water takes longer to heat up and cool down because it has a high specific heat capacity.
The sand takes less time to heat up and cools down faster because it has a lower specific heat capacity.
The balloon with water in it will not pop because the water is absorbing the heat energy.
The coasts are much warmer than inland areas because of how close they are to water. The water retains the energy that it absorbs from the sun for a much longer time.
Assessment
Click here to answer a Claim Evidence Reasoning Question about the Land and Water Experiment Lab
Add the Following Term to Your Science Notebook:
Specific Heat Capacity - the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1℃
Meteorology