What term describes water's tendency to resist changes in temperature due to hydrogen bonding?

• A. Cohesion
• B. Adhesion
• C. High specific heat
• D. Ice expansion

Answer: (C)

Water’s resistance to temperature change comes from its hydrogen bonds, which must be broken and reformed as energy is added. That requirement means a lot of energy is needed to raise the temperature of water, so it stays warmer or cooler more steadily. This property is described by high specific heat—the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a given amount of substance by one degree. Because water has a high specific heat, small environments or organisms experience less drastic temperature swings when heat is added or removed.

Cohesion and adhesion describe how water molecules stick to each other and to other surfaces, respectively, not how resistant water is to temperature change. Ice expansion refers to the way water expands when it freezes, which is tied to hydrogen bonding but not to how temperature changes are resisted.