Heating and Cooling of Land vs. Oceans – Rankers Physics

Heat Transfer - Radiation: Practice Problem & Solution

Assertion (A): The land surfaces get heated and cooled quickly compared to oceans. Reason (R): Land surfaces are practically opaque to solar radiation and only few inches of the ground is affected.  
Both (A) & (R) are true and the (R) is the correct explanation of the (A)
Both (A) & (R) are true but the (R) is not the correct explanation of the (A)
(A) is true but (R) is false
Both (A) and (R) are false

Solution Explained:

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Heat Transfer - Radiation. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

Land has lower specific heat than water and absorbs solar radiation only at the surface, leading to rapid temperature changes. Water has high specific heat and radiation penetrates deeply. Both A and R are true, and R explains A.

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