Select the correct answer.

The table shows the specific heat of four substances—brick, dry soil, paper, and water. If all four substances were exposed to sunlight for the same amount of time, which substance would heat up the fastest?

\begin{tabular}{|l|l|}
\hline & Specific Heat [tex]$\left(\frac{J}{g^{\circ}C}\right)$[/tex] \\
\hline brick & 0.9 \\
\hline dry soil & 1.26 \\
\hline paper & 1.336 \\
\hline water & 4.18 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

A. brick
B. paper
C. dry soil
D. water



Answer :

To determine which substance heats up the fastest when exposed to sunlight for the same amount of time, we need to consider their specific heat capacities. The specific heat capacity is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius [tex]\( (J/g°C) \)[/tex]. A lower specific heat capacity means the substance will heat up more quickly because it requires less energy to increase its temperature.

Here are the specific heat values for the substances:
- Brick: 0.9 [tex]\( J/g°C \)[/tex]
- Dry soil: 1.26 [tex]\( J/g°C \)[/tex]
- Paper: 1.336 [tex]\( J/g°C \)[/tex]
- Water: 4.18 [tex]\( J/g°C \)[/tex]

To find the substance that heats up the fastest, we compare these values:
- Brick: 0.9
- Dry soil: 1.26
- Paper: 1.336
- Water: 4.18

The substance with the lowest specific heat capacity will heat up the fastest. Among these values, brick has the lowest specific heat capacity of 0.9 [tex]\( J/g°C \)[/tex].

Therefore, the correct answer is:
A. brick