Question

If you were to go to a sandy beach on a sunny summer day, which would feel warmer—the sand or the water? Explain why, using your knowledge of the properties of water.

Answer 1

The sand would feel warmer as the water has a higher heat capacity-the amount of heat energy required to increase temperature-. This allows large bodies of water such as oceans and lakes to absorb large amounts of heat with only small changes in temperature.