How much heat is needed to raise 1 gram of water by 1°C?

The correct answer is 4.184 Joules, which is recognized as the specific heat capacity of water. Specific heat capacity is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius (or one Kelvin). For water, this value is particularly significant because it illustrates water's ability to store and transfer heat; thus, it plays a vital role in various fields, including fire investigations.

Water has a high specific heat capacity compared to many other materials, enabling it to absorb a considerable amount of heat without a significant rise in temperature. This property is fundamental in fire and explosion investigations, particularly when analyzing the effects of water in fire suppression. Understanding the specific heat capacity assists investigators in determining how water interacts with fire and contributes to fire dynamics, thereby providing insights into the behavior of fires in various environments.