The heat energy released by a 1-kg bottle of water as its temperature decreases by $1^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ could (if we could convert it to gravitational potential energy) lift that bottle hundreds of meters into the air.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The specific heat capacity of water is approximately 4,200 J/kg°C, meaning a 1-kg bottle of water cooling by $1^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ releases about 4,200 joules of energy. Since the gravitational potential energy (GPE) is given by GPE = mgh (where m is mass in kg, g is the acceleration due to gravity approximately $9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2$, and h is height in meters), we can calculate the height the energy could lift the bottle. For 4,200 J, assuming perfect energy conversion, $h = \frac{4200}{9.8 \times 1} \approx 429 \, \text{meters}$, which is indeed hundreds of meters.

The Heat Energy Released by a 1-Kg Bottle of Water 1∘C1^{\circ} \mathrm{C}1∘C

The Heat Energy Released by a 1-Kg Bottle of Water $1^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$