What is the Capacity of Water to Absorb & Store Heat?

Water has a very high heat capacity, which is the amount of heat a substance will absorb until it begins to increase its temperature. Water can absorb a lot of heat without becoming extremely hot.

Example

• Ever wonder why it takes water so long to boil? It's because of the water's high heat capacity. An example of heat capacity is seen when you place an empty pan over a flame; the pan will quickly become hot and burn. If you put some water in the pan and put it over the same level of heat, however, the pan will get hot, but not as hot as it was when empty because the majority of heat is absorbed by the water and not the pan, according to the University of Minnesota.

Solar Warmth

• Large bodies of water serve as reservoirs of solar warmth, which prevent the weather from getting extremely cold or hot. In the desert, however, there is very little water so the temperature is not moderated. That is why the days are terribly hot and the nights are very cold.

Capacity

• It takes a lot of heat to significantly change water temperature because water has nearly the highest heat capacity of any liquid.