the specific heat of water is one of the highest of all substances.why does this make water a useful liquid to use in hot water bottles?
and
could you use a lump of nickel to warm your bed instead of a hot water bottle?which would be better? why?
I will be happy to crititque your thinking. Post it. The answer is to think on exactly what thermal capacity means.
The higher the specific heat is, the more heat can be given off before the substance cools back down. The specific heat of nickel is only 1/9 that of water. Nickel would release only 1/9 as much heat as water while cooling the sama amount, assuming the same mass is used.
so nickel would only release 1/9 amount of heat compare those to the water.and when the nickel is cooling down, it would absorb the heat back in.so that's not a good idea to put nickel to warm your bed right!
don't nickel cool down faster than water?
thanks for the help!
Correct. Less heat capacity of metals, means it cools rapidly.
Yes, you are correct. Metals like nickel have a lower specific heat compared to water, which means they can absorb and release heat more quickly. This is because metals have a lower heat capacity, which is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by a certain amount.
While a lump of nickel may initially feel warm, it would cool down quickly and would not retain heat for a long period of time. On the other hand, water has a high specific heat and can retain heat for a longer duration. This is why water is commonly used in hot water bottles. The water can hold and distribute heat effectively, providing warmth for an extended time.
So, in terms of warming your bed, water in a hot water bottle would be a better choice than a lump of nickel. The water would release heat more slowly and keep your bed warm for a longer time compared to the nickel, which would cool down rapidly.
It's always important to consider the specific properties and characteristics of different substances when assessing their suitability for a particular purpose. In this case, the higher specific heat of water makes it a more useful liquid for hot water bottles compared to metals like nickel.