Liquid water has one of the lowest heat capacities of any commonly occurring substance

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: The statement to evaluate is 'Liquid water has one of the lowest heat capacities of any commonly occurring substance,' and the available options are True or False.
Option 1: True. Why this would be considered incorrect: The claim that water has one of the lowest heat capacities contradicts established thermodynamics. Water, with a high specific heat capacity, stores a large amount of heat per gram for a given change in temperature. Saying it has one of the lowest capacities would ignore how energy input translates to temperature change for water.
Option 2: False. Why this is correct: Water actually has a relatively high specific heat capacity among common substances (about 4.18 joules per gram per degree Celsius). This means it takes a substantial amount of heat to raise water’s temperature, which is a key reason water is effective in thermal regulation for environments and organisms. The high value is largely due to extensive hydrogen bonding between water molecules, which absorbs energy to disrupt before the temperature rises. In comparison to many liquids and solids, water’s heat capacity is not low; it is notably higher, so the claim that it is one of the lowest is inaccurate.
Additional nuance: When comparing heat capacities, one might distinguish between specific heat capacity (per gram) and molar heat capacity (per mole). Even in those terms, water remains relatively high for common substances, though the exact ranking can vary depending on the reference set of substances. The overarching takeaway is that water does not have a low heat capacity; it has a high one, reinforcing its role in buffering temperature changes in natural and engineered systems.

Liquid water has one of the lowest heat capacities of any commonly occurring substance

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Which of the following is a factor in the heat capacity of an object?

Which of the following is a factor in the heat capacity of an object?

Which of the following statements is/are true?

Which material has the highest heat capacity?

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler