Final answer:
Water takes the most energy to heat up compared to aluminum, diamond, and helium, due to its high specific heat which is the result of hydrogen bonding between water molecules.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine which substance takes the most energy to heat up, we look at the specific heat of each. The specific heat is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius. Higher specific heat means more energy is needed for the same temperature increase.
Diamond (C, crystal) has strong covalent bonds in a rigid lattice, resulting in a low specific heat, much lower than that of water. Helium (He) is a noble gas with very weak van der Waals forces, and it also has a relatively low specific heat. Aluminum (Al) is a metal with a moderate specific heat when compared to the other substances mentioned. However, water has a very high specific heat due to the hydrogen bonding between its molecules. This is why it is used as a coolant in various applications and why it takes a while for lakes and oceans to warm up or cool down.
Therefore, water takes the most energy to heat up compared to aluminum, diamond, and helium.