Which term describes the ability of a substance to store thermal energy, defined as the amount of heat required to raise its temperature by 1°C?

Which term describes the ability of a substance to store thermal energy, defined as the amount of heat required to raise its temperature by 1°C?

• A. Latent Heat of Fusion
• B. Heat Capacity
• C. Heat
• D. Light

Answer: (B)

The question is about how much energy a substance can store as heat, specifically the amount needed to raise its temperature by 1°C. That property is heat capacity. It tells you how much heat must be added to a substance to increase its temperature by one degree, with the basic relation q = C ΔT. Units are joules per degree Celsius (or joules per kelvin), and you can also talk about specific heat capacity (per unit mass) or molar heat capacity (per mole). Latent heat of fusion is the energy required for a phase change at constant temperature, which doesn’t change the temperature itself. Heat refers to energy in transit due to a temperature difference, not a property of the substance. Light is electromagnetic radiation, not thermal energy storage. In contexts like the ocean, water’s high heat capacity helps regulate climate by storing large amounts of heat with only small temperature changes.

The question is about how much energy a substance can store as heat, specifically the amount needed to raise its temperature by 1°C. That property is heat capacity. It tells you how much heat must be added to a substance to increase its temperature by one degree, with the basic relation q = C ΔT. Units are joules per degree Celsius (or joules per kelvin), and you can also talk about specific heat capacity (per unit mass) or molar heat capacity (per mole). Latent heat of fusion is the energy required for a phase change at constant temperature, which doesn’t change the temperature itself. Heat refers to energy in transit due to a temperature difference, not a property of the substance. Light is electromagnetic radiation, not thermal energy storage. In contexts like the ocean, water’s high heat capacity helps regulate climate by storing large amounts of heat with only small temperature changes.