Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Water has one of the highest specific heat capacities of any common substance. The figure is taken from USGS, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a science fact?

Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Water needs a lot of heat to warm up

Water has one of the highest specific heat capacities of any common substance Raising one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius takes about 4,186 joules, far more than the same mass of metal or sand. Hydrogen bonds between molecules soak up energy as they stretch and bend. This is why coastal cities have milder seasons than inland ones. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

USGS

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Sweating cools you through latent heatEach gram of evaporating sweat carries away a large amount of body heat Geysers need a narrow underground plumbingTrapped water superheats until pressure suddenly releases it as a jet of steam Water exists as solid liquid and gas at its triple pointAt zero point zero one degrees Celsius and specific pressure water coexists in three states Surface tension allows water striders to walk on liquidCohesive hydrogen bonds draw surface water molecules into an elastic skin-like film Water boils cooler high on mountainsAt low pressure water reaches boiling point well below 100 degrees Celsius Heat moves in three distinct waysConduction passes energy through contact, convection carries it in fluids, radiation needs no medium

Tags: physics, water, heat

Water needs a lot of heat to warm up: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Water has one of the highest specific heat capacities of any common substance. The figure is taken from USGS, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?: Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.