Question

Water is often used as a coolant, a liquid to remove heat from things like hot engines. One reason is that water can absorb a lot of heat without changing temperature too much.
What property of water allows it to do this?

• A. Water has a high latent heat of fusion
• B. Water has a low latent heat of fusion
• C. Water has a high specific heat capacity
• D. Water has a low specific heat capacity
• E. Water has a low latent heat of vaporization

Answer 1

The correct option is C Water has a high specific heat capacity

Heat required or released due to temperature change $Q=mS\left(\Delta \theta \right)$ $⟹Q\propto S$

Thus more heat is required by the substance having high specific heat capacity $\left(S\right)$ in changing its temperature.

Hence water is used as a coolant because of its high specific heat capacity $(4200$ $J/k{g}^{o}C)$.