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The Specific Heat of Ice — Reading Comprehension

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MS-PS3
HS-PS3
RI.6.3
RI.7.1

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This middle school science passage, 'The Specific Heat of Ice,' explains how ice has a lower specific heat than liquid water, meaning it takes less energy to heat it up. Students learn that ice warms until 0°C, but then needs extra energy to melt—a key concept in energy transfer and phase changes. The passage introduces the idea of latent heat and shows how understanding the thermal properties of ice is useful in real-world situations like refrigeration, climate regulation, and food science. It aligns with NGSS MS-PS3-3 and supports Common Core literacy standards such as RI.6.1 and RI.6.4. With 8 multiple choice questions, a fun fact, and accessible language, this resource builds understanding of energy in physical systems and the behavior of matter.

CONTENT PREVIEW

"Melting ice thermometer" by Ulflund / Wikimedia Commons.

You probably know that ice is just frozen water. But did you know that ice and liquid water have different specific heats? That means they don’t heat up at the same rate. The specific heat of a substance is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of that substance by 1 degree Celsius.

The specific heat of ice is about 2.1 joules per gram per degree Celsius (J/g·°C.. That’s less than water, which has a specific heat of about 4.18 J/g·°C. This means it takes less energy to warm up ice than it does to heat liquid water.

Why is this important? When ice is heated, it warms up slowly at first, but once it reaches 0°C, it starts to melt. During melting, the temperature stays the same while the ice absorbs energy to change state—from solid to liquid. After all the ice melts, the temperature of the water begins to rise again.

Knowing the specific heat of ice helps scientists and engineers plan systems that involve heating or cooling. For example, it's important in refrigeration, climate science, and even food storage. It also helps explain why ice can keep drinks cold longer, since it needs to absorb a lot of heat before it melts completely.

In summary, ice has a lower specific heat than water, which means it heats up with less energy. But even after warming to 0°C, it still takes extra energy to melt it, showing how heat works differently in solids and liquids.

Fun Fact: Even though ice is cold, the energy needed to melt ice without changing its temperature is called latent heat—and it’s one of the reasons why ice is so good at keeping things cool!

What is the main idea of the passage?

Ice and water are the same temperatureIce melts faster than it freezesIce has a lower specific heat than waterHeat moves faster in air than in solids

What is specific heat?

The amount of heat needed to freeze a substanceThe temperature when a material meltsThe energy needed to raise 1 gram of a substance by 1°CThe amount of cold in a material

What is the specific heat of ice?

4.18 J/g·°C3.00 J/g·°C1.00 J/g·°C2.1 J/g·°C

How does the specific heat of ice compare to water?

Ice has a higher specific heatIce has the same specific heat as waterIce has a lower specific heatWater doesn’t have a specific heat

What happens to ice at 0°C when you keep adding heat?

Its temperature rises quicklyIt starts to boilIt melts, but the temperature stays the sameIt freezes harder

Why can ice keep drinks cold for a long time?

It floatsIt reflects lightIt has to absorb a lot of heat to meltIt cools the cup directly

Why is understanding the specific heat of ice important?

It helps design better cupsIt helps in climate science and refrigerationIt helps freeze things fasterIt makes food taste better

What kind of energy change happens when ice melts?

Chemical changeEnergy is releasedHeat is added, but temperature doesn’t riseEnergy is lost from the ice