Water has a specific heat of 4.186 J/g°C, and ethanol has a specific heat of 2.450 J/g°C. Based on this information, which best compares water and ethanol?

A gram of water contains more molecules than a gram of ethanol because a water molecule is lighter: H₂O has a molar mass of about 18 g/mol, while ethanol (C₂H₆O) is about 46 g/mol. The specific-heat values show that water requires more heat per gram for the same temperature increase, so choice A reverses the comparison.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.