What is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of substance by one degree Celsius?

• A. Specific Heat Capacity
• B. Surface Tension
• C. Capillary Action
• D. Universal Solvent

Answer: (A)

The thing being described is a material’s specific heat capacity. This property tells you how much energy is needed to raise the temperature of a given amount of substance by a certain amount. Specifically, the heat required to change the temperature is governed by Q = m c ΔT, where m is mass, c is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the temperature change. For one gram and a temperature rise of one degree Celsius, the energy needed equals the substance’s specific heat capacity (in joules per gram per degree Celsius). For example, water’s c is about 4.184 J/g°C, so it takes roughly 4.184 joules to heat 1 g of water by 1°C. The other terms refer to different concepts: surface tension relates to energy at a liquid’s surface, capillary action involves the movement of liquid in narrow spaces due to adhesive and cohesive forces, and universal solvent describes water’s ability to dissolve many substances.