Specific heat is a measure of how much heat energy measured - GED Practice Questions
Question
Specific heat is a measure of how much heat energy (measured in joules) is needed to change the temperature of 1 gram of substance by 1 degree Celsius (1/g-°C). A high specific heat indicates that a substance will heat and cool slowly. Water has a specific heat considerably higher than most substances: about 4.183/-°C. In comparison, sand has a specific heat of about 0.80 3/9-°C. This difference means that in sandy coastal regions organisms on the sand experience much more dramatic changes in their environmental temperatures than organisms living in the water.
If equal masses of sand and water in a given area experience a 12% increase in heat energy, which prediction can be made about organisms in the area?You may use the calculator.
Answers
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Explanation
Correct Answer: B.
Temperature in sand will increase more rapidly, affecting terrestrial organisms more severely.
Explanation:
Water, with its high specific heat capacity, absorbs and retains heat more efficiently, meaning its temperature rises and falls more gradually. Sand, with a lower specific heat capacity, heats up and cools down much faster under the same energy increase. Therefore, with a 12% increase in heat energy, the sand’s temperature will increase significantly more than the water’s. This can lead to more extreme temperature fluctuations for organisms living on sand, potentially stressing or harming them due to rapid changes in their habitat conditions.
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