Question map
Which of the following statements in connection with the properties of water is/are correct? 1. Water has higher specific heat in comparison with other liquid. 2. Water has no dipole moment. 3. Water has low heat of vaporization. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
Water possesses unique thermal and chemical properties due to its molecular structure and hydrogen bonding. Statement 1 is correct; water has the highest specific heat of any liquid, requiring 4.184 Joules to raise the temperature of one gram by one degree Celsius [1]. This high heat capacity allows it to regulate Earth's climate by absorbing significant energy with minimal temperature fluctuations. Statement 2 is incorrect; water is a highly polar molecule with a permanent dipole moment, which allows it to interact with ions and other polar substances. Statement 3 is incorrect; water has a high heat of vaporization (approximately 40.7 kJ/mol) because significant energy is required to break the strong hydrogen bonds during the phase transition from liquid to gas. Therefore, only the first statement is accurate.
Sources
- [1] https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/specific-heat-capacity-and-water