Which choice best describes the specific heat of water compared with that of metals?

A) The specific heat of water is less than the specific heat of metals.

B) The specific heat of water is about the same as the specific heat of metals.

C) The specific heat of water is greater than the specific heat of metals.

D) The specific heat cannot be measured for water.

Answer: C. The specific heat of water is greater than the specific heat of metals.

The specific heat is defined as the amount required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by 1 degree Celsius.

This is expressed mathematically as

Q = mc∆T

Where Q is the energy/heat required which is measured in Joules.

m is the mass (grams)

c is the specific heat which is measured in joule/gram degree Celsius.

∆T - change in temperature

Substance which has a high specific heat require a lot of heat for its temperature to be raised by one degree. On the other hand substances with lower specific heat require only little amount of heat for its temperature to be raised by one degree.

Consider an equal mass of metal and water. If both are heated at the same time, the metal would become hotter than the water much faster. This is because the specific heat of the metal is lower than the water. Hence it requires only a little heat for its temperature to raised by one degree.

Thus we can conclude that the specific heat of water is much greater than that of a metal.