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Question

Q). Explain, in terms of SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY, why the climate of a harbour town is more temperate than that of a town in a desert at same latitude ?

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Solution

Specific heat capacity of a substance is its ability to retain heat. You must have noticed that sand gets quickly heated up and cools down quickly too. This means sand has got low specific heat capacity. It is just like a vessel with low capacity, it will fill up quickly and drain quickly as well.

Now in deserts, sands get quickly heated up under the sun in the day time because of its low heat capacity, this creates a very hot climate in day time there. While in the night sand loses heat very fast and cools down and thereby bringing up a drastic temperature fall. This results in extreme variation of temperature.

But you must have observed that water don’t easily get heated, neither water cools off very fast. This means water has got a higher heat capacity. Thus in the day time near harbours, under the sun, sea water takes a longer time to get heated up therefore, climate do not get heated up fast. On the other hand in the night time water takes a longer time to cool down which avoids drastic temperature falls. This results in moderate climate at harbours.


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