Question

If the specific heat capacity of water were lower than it is, a watermelon in a picnic cooler would cool in a ________.

1) shorter time
2) longer time
3) same time
4) cannot be determined

Answer 1

If water had a lower specific heat capacity, a watermelon in a picnic cooler would cool in a shorter time because with less heat capacity, it requires less energy to change its temperature.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the specific heat capacity of water were lower than it is, a watermelon in a picnic cooler would cool in a shorter time. Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat one gram of a substance must absorb or lose to change its temperature by one degree Celsius. Water has a high specific heat capacity, which means it takes a longer time to change its temperature. Therefore, if water had a lower specific heat capacity, it would take less time to absorb or lose heat, causing objects within it to cool quicker.

Calorimetry experiments often demonstrate this concept. For example, if two bottles of water at different volumes are placed in a refrigerator, the smaller volume cools faster due to its smaller heat capacity compared to the larger bottle. Also, substances with lower specific heat capacities such as metal cool down or heat up more rapidly than water, exemplifying how heat capacity affects temperature change rate.