Name: ____________________________ Date: ________________ Period: _______

HEATING EARTH’S SURFACE

(STEM 2.0)
Which Absorbs and Loses Heat Faster––Land or Water?
Benchmarks:
SC.6.E.7.5 Explain how energy provided by the sun influences global patterns of atmospheric movement and the
temperature differences between air, water, and land.
SC.6.E.7.3 Describe how global patterns such as the jet stream and ocean currents influence local weather in
measurable terms such as temperature, air pressure, wind direction and speed, and humidity and precipitation.
SC.6.N.1.1 Define a problem from the sixth grade
curriculum, use appropriate reference materials to
support scientific understanding, plan and carry out
scientific investigation of various types, such as
systemic observations or experiments, identify
variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in
charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make
predictions, and defend conclusions.
MAFS.6.SP.2.5b: Describe the nature of the
attribute under investigation (in a data set)
including how it was measured and its units of
measurement.

Objectives/Purpose:
• Develop and test a hypothesis about how quickly different materials (sand and water) heat up and cool down
when exposed to radiation.
• Explain how the properties of water influence coastal climates.

Background information: The uneven heating of the Earth’s surface causes weather. When you have differences
in air temperature, the hot air will rise, and the cold air will sink. These movements create wind. Land breezes
and sea breezes refer to winds that often occur near an ocean or lake. Both breezes are caused by uneven heating
of the Earth’s surface.

In this experiment, you will recreate the conditions under which these breezes form and study their causes.

In Part B of this experiment, you will expose sand and water to a light source representing the sun. You will
monitor the temperature of the sand and the water and compare their warming behaviors. Then, you will
monitor the temperatures as warm sand and water cool. This simulates the situation when the sun goes down in
the evening. You will then apply your results to local weather patterns.
Complete the Warm-up section of the “Coastal Winds and Clouds Gizmo” with your group before doing the
lab. Use the Student Exploration handout provided by your teacher.

Problem Statement/ Research Question: How does the Sun’s energy influence the movement of air?

Hypothesis:

______________________________________________________________________________

Materials:
• 2 250-mL beakers • ruler
• dry sand • 2 flat wooden sticks
• tap water • 2 thermometers
• ring stand • light source
• 2 different-colored pencils (brown and blue)

Procedures:
Part A: Preparing for the Experiment
1. Pour 200 mL of dry sand into one of the beakers. Pour 200 mL of water into the other beaker.
2. Place the lamp approximately 20 cm from the beakers. Make sure that both beakers are equal distance from
the lamp and that both receive light at the same angle.
3. Using the wooden sticks, suspend a thermometer in each beaker, as shown in Figure 1. The thermometer
bulbs should be just barely below the surfaces of the sand and the water.

Part B: Heating the Beakers

1. Use the Data Table to record your measurements.
2. Record the starting temperature of the sand (land) : _____°C and water (ocean): _____°C
CAUTION: Do not touch the light source or the beakers without using thermal mitts.
3. Turn on the lamp. Read the temperature (°C) of the sand and water every minute for 15 minutes. Record the
temperatures in the Light On (LEFT) column of the data table.
4. Turn off the lamp. Read the temperature (°C) of the sand and water for another 15 minutes. Record the
temperatures in the Light Off (RIGHT) column of the data table.

DATA TABLE
TEMPERATURE WITH LIGHT ON (°F) TEMPERATURE WITH LIGHT OFF
(°F)
Time (min.) Land Water Time (min.) Land Water
1 16
2 17
3 18
4 19
5 20
6 21
7 22
8 23
9 24
10 25
11 26
12 27
13 28
14 29
15 30
 5. On the graph, create two-line graphs to show the data for the temperature change in land and water over
time. You will draw both lines on the same graph. You should be able to tell the difference between the two
line by labeling each line and using a different color for each line.

LINE GRAPH
145
140
135
130
125
120
115
110
105
Temperature (°C)

100
95
90
85
80
40
38
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
22
20
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Time (minutes)

PROCESSING THE DATA

1. Calculate the total change in temperature for each material.

Sand: heated by ___________ degrees in 15 minutes; cooled by __________ degrees in 15 minutes

Water: heated by ___________ degrees in 15 minutes; cooled by __________ degrees in 15 minutes

2. Based on your data, which material was heated faster by the “sun”? Which material cooled faster when the

light was shut off?

 Conclusion: (CER)

Research Question: How does the Sun’s energy influence the movement of air?

Claim: (Make a statement that answers the research question, based on what you observed in the lab you
performed)

Evidence: (Support your claim by citing data you collected in your lab procedure)

Reasoning: (Describe the science concepts that explain why or how the evidence you presented supports your
claim)
SSA CONNECTION
1. Wind is caused by which of the following?
A. The gravity of the sun
B. Unpredictable changes in the atmosphere.
C. The uneven heating of earth's surface
D. The changes in the ozone layer

2. In coastal areas, land and sea breezes may exist due to the uneven heating of the land and water. Which
process is responsible for the breeze?
A. Conduction
B. Radiation
C. Convection
D. Refraction

3. In which atmospheric action can we see evidence of conduction?

A. Radiation from the Sun heats the surface of the Earth.
B. The surface of the Earth heats the air that contacts it.
C. Cold air pushes warm air upward creating a current.
D. Air increases in density and sinks back towards the Earth.

4. In December, Bill was driving through Florida with his family. As they drove closer to the coast, Bill
noticed that the air grew a little warmer. Which of the following statements best explains the temperature
difference?
A. Air expands at higher temperatures.
B. Water heats and cools more slowly than land does.
C. Warm air moves towards the coastline from inland areas.
D. Cool air moves form coastal areas to inland areas in a sea breeze.

5. The picture below shows a place where air currents will form due to the uneven heating of Earth.

In which direction will air currents most likely move?

A. straight down over the land
B. from the land toward the sea
C. straight up above the sea
D. from the sea toward the land

6. What are the variables involved in the experiment?

A. Independent: Light/ Dependent: Temperature
B. Independent: Temperature/ Dependent: Light
C. Independent: Type of surface / Dependent: Temperature
D. Independent: Temperature / Dependent: Type of surface