Why is water's high specific heat capacity important in natural and biological systems?

• A. It causes water to evaporate quickly, leading to rapid cooling of environments.
• B. It prevents water from freezing at 0^ext{o}C under normal atmospheric pressure.
• C. It makes water a poor solvent for ionic compounds.
• D. It allows water to absorb and release large amounts of heat with little change in temperature, helping regulate climate and body temperature.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by 1 degree Celsius (or 1 Kelvin). For water, this value is relatively high compared to many other substances.
2. Recognize that water's high specific heat capacity means it can absorb or release a large amount of heat energy with only a small change in its own temperature.
3. Consider the implications of this property in natural systems: large bodies of water like oceans and lakes can moderate climate by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it slowly at night, preventing extreme temperature fluctuations.
4. In biological systems, this property helps organisms maintain stable internal temperatures despite changes in the external environment, which is crucial for proper biochemical functioning.
5. Note why the other options are incorrect: water does not evaporate quickly due to high specific heat (it actually has a high heat of vaporization), it freezes at 0°C under normal pressure, and it is actually an excellent solvent for ionic compounds due to its polarity.