Identical heat lamps are arranged to shine on two identical containers, one containing water and one methanol (wood alcohol), so that each liquid absorbs the same amount of energy minute by minute. The covalent bonds of methanol molecules are nonpolar, so there are no hydrogen bonds among methanol molecules. Which of the following graphs correctly describes what will happen to the temperature of the water and the methanol?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since each liquid absorbs the same amount of energy minute by minute, the temperature increase will depend on the specific heat capacity of each liquid. Water has a higher specific heat capacity than methanol, which means that it can absorb more heat energy for every degree of temperature increase. Therefore, the graph for water should have a shallower slope than the graph for methanol. Choice B correctly shows that the temperature of water will increase at a slower rate than the temperature of methanol.

Identical Heat Lamps Are Arranged to Shine on Two Identical