Water having a high specific heat capacity

Question 1

The specific heat capacity of a substance is the

Answer 1

amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of 1kg of that substance by 1°C. Water’s specific heat capacity is 4200 J/kg°C

Question 2

Water’s specific heat capacity is

Answer 2

4200 J/kg°C

Question 3

Specific heat capacity is a measure of the

Answer 3

energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1oC

Question 4

Water has a high specific heat capacity of 4200 J / Kg oC meaning a

Answer 4

relatively large amount of energy is required to raise its temperature

Question 5

The high specific heat capacity is due to the

Answer 5

many hydrogen bonds present in water. It takes a lot of thermal energy to break these bonds and a lot of energy to build them, thus the temperature of water does not fluctuate greatly

Question 6

The advantage for living organisms is that it

Answer 6

Provides suitable habitats
Is able to maintain a constant temperature as water is able to absorb a lot of heat without big temperature fluctuations

This is vital in maintaining temperatures that are optimal for enzyme activity

Question 7

Water in blood plasma is also vital in transferring heat around the body, helping to maintain a fairly constant temperature how does it do this

Answer 7

As blood passes through more active (‘warmer’) regions of the body, heat energy is absorbed but the temperature remains fairly constant

Water in tissue fluid also plays an important regulatory role in maintaining a constant body temperature