166k views
5 votes
Which amount of energy raises one gram of water by one degree Celsius?

Option 1: 1 J
Option 2: 1 cal
Option 3: 1 kcal
Option 4: 1 kJ

User Patrica
by
7.3k points

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

The correct amount of energy to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius is 1 calorie (cal), which is equal to 4.184 joules (J). The closest answer choice provided is Option 2: 1 cal.

Step-by-step explanation:

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius is 1 calorie (cal). In the context of physics and chemistry, this is a well-known value related to the specific heat of water. The specific heat of water is precisely 4.184 joules per gram per degree Celsius (J/g °C), which means that to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 °C, it actually requires 4.184 J of energy. Nevertheless, when addressing the question in terms of typical calorie units, the closest option to resemble the correct amount of energy is 1 cal. It is important to distinguish between the calorie (cal) used here and the nutritional Calorie (with uppercase 'C', also known as kcal), which equals 1,000 calories or 4,184 J and is the amount needed to raise 1 kilogram of water by 1 °C.

Therefore, the correct option for the amount of energy that raises one gram of water by one degree Celsius is Option 2: 1 cal. Keep in mind that this is different from the joule, even though joules are commonly used to measure energy in scientific contexts. For small amounts of energy such as heating a gram of water by a single degree, the calorie is more convenient.

User Mamatv
by
8.1k points