Science Energy Transfer?

Start with:-

Q = mass x specific heat of water(sph) x temperature change

In both pools we have water; so, the specific heat capacity for the water will be the same and is a constant. This means that we can say that the temperature change is:-

temperature change = constant(sph) x Q/mass

Where the mass is the mass of water.

For a given surface area, both the swiming and the padling pool, will l receive the same amout of heat energy, Q from the sun. But, the paddling pool has much less depth of water and so the ratio of Q/mass for a given unit area of the pool is higher than the same area for the swimming pool where the mass below it is much greater.

Since , Q/mass for the paddling pool is greater that Q/mass for the swiming pool then this means that the temperature difference is greater for the paddling pool than it is for the swimming pool.

At the shallow end of the swimming pool the area that receives the suns enegy is used to heat all the water underneath. However, because it is shallow there is much less water less and so its temperature will be greater than at the deep end where the same amount of the sun's energy has to heat a much greater volume of water underneath.

Convertion currents, (as in this simple case, although there are exceptions) require gravity to operate. . Gravity act in the vertical direction and by in large the convection currents act vertically taking heat from the bottom to the top and this is the main trasport mechanism with very little spereading out horizontally and so evening out the pool temperature. However, there is another reasons why heat is not spreading horizontally in this case and that is the heat source is at the surface where the hottest water is already. So, convection does not occur as the hot water has nowhere to rise to because the hottest part is already at the top or surface of the pool.

The less water and shallower water in the paddle pool (PP) make the difference:

Solar energy heats the water (in BOTH pools) at a constant rate, but there is significantly more water in the "swimming pool' (SP) versus the PP, so the PP water heats much quicker than does the SP water, which is more to heat.

The colder water collects at the bottom of the SP, and since the PP is shallower, the solar energy doesn't have to heat more water than in the PP.......

This also bring up in Physics what's know as the "Laws of Thermodynamics". This is the first law:

In all cases in which work is produced by the agency of heat, a quantity of heat is consumed which is proportional to the work done; and conversely, by the expenditure of an equal quantity of work an equal quantity of heat is produced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamics

Convection currents don't apply in a body of water that's stationary such as a pool. There are no currents present in a pool. (If this were the ocean or other large body of water, then the convection current would have to taken into account)

I have experienced a different scenario. We have had temperatures in the 90 s for a few days. When i was doing laps the deep end was much warmer than the shallow. I found this quite peculiar and contrary to scientific reasoning.

Greg