Associate Safety Professional Practice Exam

A calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by how many degrees Celsius?

1. 1 degree

2. 5 degrees

3. 10 degrees

4. 15 degrees

The correct answer is: 1 degree

A calorie is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. This fundamental definition stems from the specific heat capacity of water, which is the amount of energy needed to increase the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree. This standard unit of measurement is critical in various fields, including chemistry, nutrition, and physics, as it provides a basis for quantifying energy transfer. The other options, which suggest larger increments like 5, 10, or 15 degrees Celsius, do not align with this definition. Such values would represent a much greater amount of energy being transferred to the water. In the context of heat transfer, the specific measurement of 1 degree is crucial in understanding both the heating process of substances and the efficiency of energy systems. The clarity of this concept serves as a foundational element in studies relating to thermodynamics and calorimetry.