Raising the temperature of 10.0 g of water from 10.0 °C to 20.0 °C requires 100.0 cal of energy, while raising the temperature of 10.0 g of aluminum from 10.0 °C to 20.0 °C requires 22 cal. More calories are required to heat the water because
A) ten grams of water occupies a larger volume than 10.0 g of aluminum.
B) 10.0 °C is closer to the melting point of water than to the melting point of aluminum.
C) water is a liquid and aluminum is a solid at 10.0 °C.
D) water has a larger specific heat than aluminum.
E) water has a greater potential energy than aluminum.

Question

Raising the temperature of 10.0 g of water from 10.0 °C to 20.0 °C requires 100.0 cal of energy, while raising the temperature of 10.0 g of aluminum from 10.0 °C to 20.0 °C requires 22 cal. More calories are required to heat the water because 
A) ten grams of water occupies a larger volume than 10.0 g of aluminum. 
B) 10.0 °C is closer to the melting point of water than to the melting point of aluminum. 
C) water is a liquid and aluminum is a solid at 10.0 °C. 
D) water has a larger specific heat than aluminum. 
E) water has a greater potential energy than aluminum.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The specific heat of a substance is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of that substance by 1 °C. Water has a higher specific heat than aluminum, meaning it requires more energy to raise the temperature of water than the same mass of aluminum by the same amount.

Raising the Temperature of 10