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Why is the specific heat of water is higher than the specific heat of most other substances?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Specific heat is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a given mass of material by 1 degree Kelvin. Temperature is a direct measure of the average kinetic energy of the atoms in a material - the energy that manifests in the motions (vibrations, translations) of atoms.
Kinetic energy, however, is only one form of the energy that atoms and moelcules contain. Potential energy is the other form of energy. Potential energy is stored in matter in multiple forms, but the form which causes the high specific heat of water is hydrogen bond energy.
When two atoms form a bond, the bond contains potential energy. The strongest bond is a chemical bond, which is the type of bond that atoms form in order to create molecules. However, adjacent molecules can also form more transient bonds. The strongest of the transient bonds is the hydrogen bond.
When a hydrogen atom is bound to oxygen (or nitrogen or fluorine) atom, the hydrogen atom gains a partial positive charge, while the oxygen gains a partial negative charge. A hydrogen bond forms when a partially positive hydrogen on one molecule is electrostatically attracted to a partially negative oxygen atom elsewhere on the same molecule or on an adjacent molecule. The O-H...O hydrogen bond has an enthalpy of ~21 kJ/mol in the gas phase. In comparison, the O-H chemical bond has a dissociation energy of ~110 kJ/mol, so a hydrogen bond is quite strong.
The high specific heat of water results because every atom in water is capable of hydrogen bonding. Thus, when heat is introduced into water, much of the heat must be used to break hydrogen bonds before the atoms are free to increase their kinetic energy (e.g., temperature). No other molecule displays this high degree of hydrogen bonding, making water a unique compound.
Incidentally, water's hydrogen bonding is also responsible for its high boiling point relative to other light molecules, as well as the fact that ice is less dense than water.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoWater has one of the highest specific heats of any substance. Alcohol, and oil mixtures also have high specific heats.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoDue to its polarity, water can absorb heat without a significant temperature change.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago"strong hydrogen bonds"
Wiki User
∙ 10y agosand
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Which substance having high specific heat capacity?
A common substance with a high specific heat is water. There are a few substances that have a higher heat capacity than water, though, such as lithium and ammonia.
How does the specific heat of water compare with that of other common substances?
Water has an abnormally high heat capacity compared to most other substances. The specific heat of water is high relative to the specific heat of other substances. Water takes a lot of energy to heat and takes a long time to lose the heat. We make use of this by using a hot water bottle to keep warm. The onshore breeze from an ocean or large lake is due to the water taking longer to lose heat than the land. The warmer body of water at the end of the day takes time to cool at night so drags air from the land; the cool body of water in the morning is responsible for air blowing onto the land in the morning. Bricks are also good heat sinks.
Does hydrogen or water has high specific heat capacity?
Water has a MUCH higher specific heat than hydrogen.
Why does cyclohexanone dissolve in benzophenone and not in water?
Cyclohexanone and benzophenone are both non-polar. Water is polar. "Like dissolves like" so non-polar substances dissovle other non-polar substances and polar substances dissolve other polar substances.
Why does vinegar freeze faster than water?
Because water has a higher specific heat AND a higher latent heat of liquification (i.e. inverse of freezing).
Will objects with densities higher than water sink or float?
Objects with higher densities than water will sink in water. What they do in other substances depends on the densities of those substances.
Which substance having high specific heat capacity?
A common substance with a high specific heat is water. There are a few substances that have a higher heat capacity than water, though, such as lithium and ammonia.
Does water or iron has the largest specific heat capacity?
Of those two substances, water has.
What does it mean to have a higher specific heat?
That a given volume of water will store a larger amount of heat energy (per degree temperature rise) than will most other substances.
What substances are excreted in normal urine?
excess water and other water soluble substances ......
What has a higher specific heat water or rubbing alcohol?
rubbing alcohol has higher specific heat
One substance that heats more slowly than many other substances is?
The substance that heats more slowly than other substances could be water. But this idea is based on the high heat capacity of water. It takes more thermal energy (heat) to elevate the temperature of a given amount of water than an equal amount of another substance. But other substances might heat more slowly than water because heat does not travel "into" or "through" them very well. Different experiments may yield different results.
Among common substances water has what kind of specific heat?
High (novanet)
What is it called when water sticks to different substances?
Adhesion is when water molecules stick to other molecules
How does the phrase of water affect its specific heat capacity?
It is because the density increases as you add salt and with all other substances the higher the density the lower the specific heat. For example water has a density of 1000 Kg m -3 and a specific heat of 4186 J/Kg. On the other hand copper has a density of 8960 Kg m -3 and a specific heat of 385 J/Kg.
What has higher specific heat water or lead?
Water has much higher specific heat than lead. All metals have fairly low specific heat values.
What is low specific gravity?
The purest water, is given the value of one (1) or unity. Unity is just a term that unites the number one (1) to a specific item. So that in the future you can relate another substance, to the substance given the value of Unity. Any substance lighter then water, like oil has a lower specific gravity. Any substance heavier then water, has a higher specific gravity. Some oils have a specific gravity of around 0.85 Some heavy substances like strong nitric acid have a specific gravity of around 1.4 Substances do not have to be liquids. They can be solids.
