Question

sbi4u1 quiz 1
question 1 (1 point) ✓ saved
ms. hiba goes to the beach in the morning. she sees that the sand gets hot very fast, but
the water stays cool for a long time. which property of water explains this?
a. water molecules stick to each other due to their polarity.
b. water has a high specific heat capacity.
c. two water molecules can react to form a hydronium ion and a
hydroxide ion.
d. water has a low specific heat capacity.

Explanation:

• Option a: Water molecules sticking to each other (cohesion) due to polarity doesn't explain the temperature difference between sand and water.
• Option b: Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a substance. Water has a high specific heat capacity. This means it requires more heat to increase its temperature compared to sand (which has a lower specific heat capacity). So, when sunlight hits both sand and water, sand heats up fast (as it needs less heat for a temperature rise), while water stays cool longer (as it needs more heat for the same temperature rise).
• Option c: The reaction of water molecules to form hydronium and hydroxide ions (auto - ionization) is related to water's pH properties, not its temperature - related behavior.
• Option d: If water had a low specific heat capacity, it would heat up as fast as sand, which is not the case.

Answer:

B. water has a high specific heat capacity.