Why it is that the specific heat of the liquid phase is generally larger than the specific heat of the solid phase?

Going from solid to liquid, for example, the solid phase of the material might have a particular crystal structure, and the internal energy depends on the structure. In the liquid phase, there is no crystal structure, so the internal energy is quite different (higher, generally) from what it is in the solid phase.

Why does liquid water have such a high heat capacity?

Water’s high heat capacity is a property caused by hydrogen bonding among water molecules. When the temperature of water decreases, the hydrogen bonds are formed and release a considerable amount of energy. Water has the highest specific heat capacity of any liquid.

Does a solid have more heat than a liquid?

Matter in its solid state has the lowest amount of thermal energy (for that type of matter). Because solids have less thermal energy than liquids or gasses, the atoms in their solid state move very little.

Which state of matter has the highest heat capacity?

Specific heat capacity often varies with temperature, and is different for each state of matter. Liquid water has one of the highest specific heat capacities among common substances, about 4184 J⋅kg−1⋅K−1 at 20 °C; but that of ice, just below 0 °C, is only 2093 J⋅kg−1⋅K−1.

Why specific heat of solid is less than water?

In a solid, these degrees of freedom are restricted by the structure of that solid. The kinetic energy stored internally in the molecule contributes to that substance’s specific heat capacity and not to its temperature. As a liquid, water has more directions to move and to absorb the heat applied to it.

Why does specific heat capacity change with phase?

The substance releases energy when changing phase from gas to liquid or from liquid to solid. During a phase change, the number of degrees of freedom changes, and so does the specific heat capacity.

Does water have high or low heat capacity?

Water has a high specific heat capacity—it absorbs a lot of heat before it begins to get hot.

Why do solids have less energy than liquids?

Solids are things where the molecules are all stuck together very tightly in a regular pattern. The molecules move around very little and have a low amount of energy. Molecules in a liquid have more energy than molecules in a solid.

What has higher heat capacity than water?

On a mass basis hydrogen gas has more than three times the specific heat as water under normal laboratory conditions.

What solid has the highest heat capacity?

Table of specific heat capacities

Substance	Phase	Isobaric mass heat capacity cP J⋅g−1⋅K−1
Tungsten	solid	0.134
Uranium	solid	0.116
Water at 100 °C (steam)	gas	2.080

Why is it that liquid water has a higher specific heat than solid water the specific heat of ice is only half the specific heat of water?

As a liquid, water has more directions to move and to absorb the heat applied to it. There is more surface area that needs to be heated for the overall temperature to increase. However, with ice, the surface area doesn’t change due to its more rigid structure.