Final answer:
The specific heat capacity is the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C; thus, the right selection is (d) Raising its temperature 1°C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The specific heat capacity of a substance is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of the substance by 1°C.
The correct answer to the student's question is (d) Raising its temperature 1°C. The specific heat is an intensive property of the substance, which means it does not depend on the amount of the substance that is present. This is different from heat capacity, which is an extensive property and does depend on the amount of substance.
The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of the substance by 1°C.
Therefore, the correct option would be d) Raising its temperature 1°C.