How does water's high specific heat capacity affect the temperature of large lakes?

• A. It prevents large lakes from freezing at any temperature.
• B. It makes the temperature of large lakes increase rapidly during hot weather.
• C. It causes large lakes to have higher temperatures than the surrounding land throughout the year.
• D. It causes the temperature of large lakes to change very slowly in response to seasonal temperature fluctuations.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of specific heat capacity, which is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius. Water has a high specific heat capacity compared to many other substances.
2. Recognize that because water requires more heat energy to change its temperature, it heats up and cools down more slowly than land or air.
3. Apply this knowledge to large lakes: their temperature changes gradually because the water absorbs or releases large amounts of heat without a significant change in temperature.
4. This slow temperature change means that lakes do not heat up quickly during hot weather, nor do they cool down rapidly during cold weather, leading to a moderating effect on the local climate.
5. Conclude that the high specific heat capacity of water causes the temperature of large lakes to change very slowly in response to seasonal temperature fluctuations, stabilizing the aquatic environment.