Arrange the following substances in the increasing order of their heat capacity at standard temperature and pressure:

(A) Ice

(B) Water

(C) Air

(D) Dry sand

Options:

Correct option is D

Introduction:

• Heat capacity refers to the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance.
• The specific heat capacity) is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Kelvin (or Celsius).
• It requires arranging the substances in increasing order of this value, which determines how much heat they can store.
• Substances with lower specific heat capacity heat up quickly, while those with higher values require more energy for the same temperature change.

Information Booster:

• The specific heat capacity (c) is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Kelvin (or Celsius). 
• $$\text{Dry Sand} < \text{Air} < \text{Ice} < \text{Water}$$​
• To arrange these common substances, we use their approximate specific heat capacities ($$c_p) in \text{J}\cdot\text{kg}^{-1}\cdot\text{K}^{-1} near STP (25^\circ\text{C} and 1 \text{ atm}$$​

Analysis of Order:

• Dry Sand (D): As a solid mineral (mainly$$\text{SiO}_2$$​), sand has a low specific heat capacity. This is why sand heats up very quickly during the day and cools down quickly at night.
• Air (C): Air (a mixture of gases) has a relatively low specific heat capacity compared to solids and liquids, though it's higher than many dense solids.
• Ice (A): The specific heat capacity of solid water is roughly half that of liquid water, as the crystal lattice structure limits the ways in which the molecules can absorb energy.
• Liquid Water (B): Water has the highest specific heat capacity among common, non-metallic liquids. This is primarily due to the extensive hydrogen bonding between its molecules, which requires a large amount of energy to break/agitate before the overall kinetic energy (temperature) increases.