Asked by Nico

Tom stands in a swimming pool and notices that the water around his feet is a lot cooler than the water near the surface. Which process causes this difference in temperature?

a
radiation
b
convection
c
evaporation
d
conduction

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
a — radiation.

Sunlight (thermal radiation) heats the upper layer of the pool. Water absorbs the radiation near the surface, so the top becomes warmer while heat conduction downward is slow (and convection is suppressed because warm water stays on top), leaving the water around his feet cooler.