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The specific heats of two natural substances are shown in the table.

\begin{tabular}{|l|l|}
\hline Natural Substance & Specific Heat \\
\hline Wet Mud & [tex]$2.5 \, J / g \, ^{\circ}C$[/tex] \\
\hline Sandy Clay & [tex]$1.4 \, J / g \, ^{\circ}C$[/tex] \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

A pile of wet mud and a pile of sandy clay of equal masses were placed next to each other on a sunny day.

If the temperature of each pile was equal in the afternoon, which substance is likely to show a higher temperature after a few hours and why?

A. Wet mud, because it released more heat while placed in the sun.
B. Sandy clay, because it absorbed more heat while placed in the sun.
C. Sandy clay, because it requires less energy to increase its temperature.
D. Wet mud, because it requires more energy to increase its temperature.



Answer :

GinnyAnswer
To answer this question, we need to understand the concept of specific heat capacity. Specific heat capacity is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Given:
- The specific heat of wet mud is [tex]\(2.5 \, \mathrm{J/g \cdot {}^\circ{}C}\)[/tex].
- The specific heat of sandy clay is [tex]\(1.4 \, \mathrm{J/g \cdot {}^\circ{}C}\)[/tex].

Let's consider the scenario where both wet mud and sandy clay are placed next to each other on a sunny day and then analyze which substance will show a higher temperature after a few hours.

1. Energy Absorption and Temperature Increase:
- When both substances are placed in the sun, they absorb heat from the sunlight. The amount by which their temperatures increase depends on their specific heat capacities.
- A substance with a lower specific heat capacity will have a higher temperature increase for the same amount of absorbed heat because it requires less energy to increase its temperature.

2. Comparison of Specific Heats:
- Wet mud has a specific heat capacity of [tex]\(2.5 \, \mathrm{J/g \cdot {}^\circ{}C}\)[/tex], which means it needs [tex]\(2.5\)[/tex] joules of energy to raise [tex]\(1\)[/tex] gram of wet mud by [tex]\(1\)[/tex] degree Celsius.
- Sandy clay has a specific heat capacity of [tex]\(1.4 \, \mathrm{J/g \cdot {}^\circ{}C}\)[/tex], which means it needs [tex]\(1.4\)[/tex] joules of energy to raise [tex]\(1\)[/tex] gram of sandy clay by [tex]\(1\)[/tex] degree Celsius.

3. Temperature Prediction:
- Since sandy clay requires only [tex]\(1.4\)[/tex] joules of energy to increase its temperature by [tex]\(1\)[/tex] degree Celsius, it will heat up more quickly compared to wet mud, which requires [tex]\(2.5\)[/tex] joules of energy for the same temperature increase.

Therefore, after a few hours in the sun, the sandy clay will show a higher temperature because it requires less energy to raise its temperature compared to wet mud.

Thus, the correct answer is:

Sandy clay, because it requires less energy to increase its temperature.

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