BIOLOGY Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Heat Capacity, Surface Tension
14 Dec 2022
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Document Summary
Specific heat: the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree celsius (resist temperature change). It can absorb and store massive amounts of heat while only raising the temperature a few degrees. This property is critical for living things because it prevents abrupt temperature changes within organisms, which would otherwise be harmful. Keeps temperature fluctuations in the environment within acceptable limits for life to continue on earth. The amount of energy required to convert one gram of liquid water to water vapor is known as the latent heat of vaporization (cooling effect). A large amount of heat is required to vaporize a small amount of water. This is important in regulating organisms" internal temperatures. We do not easily heat up in the summer and lose all of the water in our bodies. Sweat evaporates, providing us with a cooling effect.
