Question

Why is water commonly used as the liquid in a calorimeter?

Options

• Water is transparent and easy to observe

• Water has a low boiling point

• Water absorbs a lot of heat, but its temperature changes slowly

• Water is the densest liquid available

Answer 1

Water absorbs a lot of heat, but its temperature changes slowly

Explanation:

Water's high specific heat capacity (4186 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹) allows it to absorb large amounts of heat with only small temperature changes, making measurements more precise.