Elements with low specific heat values have which characteristic?

low atomic mass
high thermal energy
low kinetic energy
low number of atoms per gram

1 answer

Elements with low specific heat values tend to have the characteristic of high thermal energy.

Specific heat is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a substance. A low specific heat means that an element heats up quickly and does not require much energy to increase its temperature, indicating a greater capacity to gain thermal energy.

The other options listed do not directly correlate with low specific heat values:

  • Low atomic mass: This is not necessarily true for elements with low specific heat.
  • Low kinetic energy: This is not applicable, as kinetic energy relates to the motion of particles, not directly to specific heat.
  • Low number of atoms per gram: This concept does not straightforwardly relate to specific heat either.

In summary, the most relevant characteristic is that low specific heat values are associated with high thermal energy capabilities.