A student observes that ponds freeze on top while remaining liquid below, that sweat cools the body during exercise, and that water is unusually difficult to boil compared to similarly sized molecules. The teacher attributes these properties to a single common cause depicted in the figure.
The dashed line in the figure represents a specific intermolecular interaction between two water molecules. Which property of water arises MOST directly from this interaction?
- A
Inability to dissolve ionic compounds
- B
Low surface tension due to weak molecular cohesion
- Ccheck_circle
High specific heat capacity due to many bonds absorbing thermal energy
- D
Hydrophobic exclusion of polar solutes
Explanation
Hydrogen bonds (the dashed line) require energy to break, so water absorbs significant heat before its temperature rises, giving water a high specific heat capacity.