Question

A coolant in a chemical or nuclear plant is a liquid that is used to prevent different parts of a plant from getting too hot. One important property of coolant is that it:
A. Should have low specific heat.
B. Should have high specific heat.
C. High density and low thermal conductivity.
D. Low density and high thermal conductivity.

Answer 1

The amount of heat absorbed or given by a substance depends on its specific heat. The specific heat of a body is defined as the heat required to raise the temperature of unit mass of the body by ${\mathbf{1}}^\circ {\mathbf{C}}$ .

Complete step by step answer:
As the heat absorbed by a substance is directly proportional to the heat absorbed by it. Therefore a huge amount of heat will be required for a coolant to raise its temperature. If the specific heat of the coolant is high, it can absorb large amounts of heat without heating itself much. Hence, a coolant should have high specific heat. This will prevent the different parts of the plant or reactor from getting too hot.
Hence, the correct option is (B).

Note: A coolant is a substance that is used to regulate the temperature of a heating system. An ideal coolant has a high thermal capacity and high specific heat capacity. In a chemical or nuclear plant, a nuclear fission reaction takes place, which produces an enormous heat. So, it is necessary to use a coolant from preventing the parts of the plant from getting too hot. A coolant fluid enters the core at low temperature and exits at a higher temperature after collecting the fission energy. Liquid sodium and light water under high pressure are generally used as a coolant in most of the reactors or chemical plants.