Question

How does the specific heat capacity of water compare with that of other common substances?

Answer 1

To compare the specific heat capacity of water with the specific heat capacity of other substances, we should go through the whole concept of the specific heat capacity. We will discuss more about the specific heat of water.

Complete answer:
The specific heat of water is high relative to the specific heat of other substances. Water takes a lot of energy to heat and takes a long time to lose the heat. We make use of this by using a hot water bottle to keep warm. The onshore breeze from an ocean or large lake is due to the water taking longer to lose heat than the land. The warmer body of water at the end of the day takes time to cool at night so drags air from the land; the cool body of water in the morning is responsible for air.
Water has an abnormally high heat capacity compared to most other substances. The specific heat of water is high relative to the specific heat of other substances.
Water is one of the most amazing solvents on Earth. Life cannot exist without water. Beyond its unique chemical properties, water's high specific heat capacity is essential for regulating global temperatures. Water has a high specific heat.
That means for every 4.184 J of energy added to one gram of water, the temperature of the water will increase by one degree Celsius. This is one of the highest specific heat capacities of all solvents.

Note:
For liquid at room temperature and pressure, the value of specific heat capacity $({C_p})$ is approximately $4.2{\text{ }}J/g^\circ C$ . This implies that it takes $4.2{\text{ }}joules$ of energy to raise $1{\text{ }}gram$ of water by ${1^\circ }C$ . This value for ${C_p}$ is actually quite large.