Approximately how much heat energy is required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 K?

• A. 273 J
• B. 1 J
• C. 4184 J
• D. 1000 J

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the physical property involved: the specific heat capacity of water, which is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 kelvin (K).
2. Recall the formula for heat energy: \(Q = m \times c \times \Delta T\), where \(Q\) is the heat energy, \(m\) is the mass, \(c\) is the specific heat capacity, and \(\Delta T\) is the temperature change.
3. Note that the problem asks for the heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 K, so \(m = 1\) kg and \(\Delta T = 1\) K.
4. Use the known specific heat capacity of water, which is approximately \$4184\ \mathrm{J/(kg \cdot K)}$.
5. Calculate the heat energy by substituting the values into the formula: \(Q = 1\ \mathrm{kg} \times 4184\ \mathrm{J/(kg \cdot K)} \times 1\ \mathrm{K}\), which gives the heat energy required.