Lab report

Question

How energy is absorbed and lost due to the composition of the surface material

Method

Our method of investigation began with three individual cups with sand, dirt, and water. We used a
temperature probe to take each cups temperature after a minute for 10 minutes while there was direct
light hitting them. Then repeated the same procedure with no direct light. After every minute we would
record our data.

Data

Water H. Soil H. Sand H. Water C. Soil C. Sand C.

22.4 23.5 23.2 24.4 24.7 24.5
24.1 23.9 23.8 22.2 22.5 22.7
23.6 24.1 23.2 21.5 22.6 22.6
22.2 22.5 22.5 23 22.6 22.6
22.7 23 23.4 22.7 22.6 22.5
22.3 23.7 24 22.8 22.9 22.9
23.5 23.6 24.5 22.1 22.7 22.1
24 23.8 24.3 21.5 21.2 21.8
24.8 24.5 25.4 21.7 21.2 21.6
24.9 24.9 25.1 21.3 21.2 21.1

Heating Up
26
Temperature Celsius

25
24
23
22
21
20
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Minutes

Water H. Soil H. Sand H.

 Cooling Down
25
Temperature Celsius

24
23
22
21
20
19
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Minutes

Water C. Soil C. Sand C.

Calculations (numbers from light being on)

=
Three equations, one for the water, one for the sand, and one for the soil

Water

= 20

= 4.184

= 24.9 22.2 = 2.7

= 20 4.184 2.7 = 225.936

Sand

= 20

= ? ? ?
= 25.4 22.5 = 2.9

= 225.936 because both petri dishes were put under the same light, and as a result the same
heat energy was transmitted

225.936 = 20 2.9
225.936 = 58

= 3.895

Soil

= 20
= ? ? ?
= 24.9 22.5 = 2.4
= 225.936
225.936 = 20 2.4
225.936 = 448

= 4.707

Why does sand have a specific heat range?

Sand itself doesnt have a specific heat because its made up of several different minerals which
consist of their own specific heat, and as the composition varies so too does the specific heat.
However, in general, sand has a low range specific heat allowing it to heat up quickly.
Differences in temperature

There was a difference in temperature between the soil and sand. It is very little, at .5 0C. This could be
because of a margin of error from the device. Another reason could be the difference in timing. For
example, because we only had access to one temperature probe, we had to measure one sample and
then the other. Thus, the temperature may have been slightly altered. Last, but not least, the calculated
specific heat is different; this could be why the temperatures are different.

Generalized to the real world

Every surface has a specific heat. When the suns rays are hitting it, it heats up. For example, a metal rod
will heat up quickly because of their low specific heat, while water requires lots of energy to heat up just
one degree Celsius. Where there is low specific heat, the ground is extremely hot. For example, the sand
has a lower specific heat than water. In the beaches, when stepping onto the sand, it feels extremely
hot. The low specific heat causes an increase in temperature quickly. On the other hand, the water has a
high specific heat, so when stepping into the water, there is this cold sensation. When applied to the
desert, this explains why the climate is so hot. On the other hand, the artic has lots of water and ice.
Therefore, the specific heat is high and all the heat is absorbed without temperature drastically
increasing. This helps make the climate cold.

Soil has a lower specific heat than water. It increases its temperature with little energy inputted. This
means that it can get hot really fast. On the other hand, water has a high specific heat. This means that
the temperature barely increases with lots of energy put in. This makes water a better moderator of
temperature.