Question

Water is used to cool radiators of engine, because:
(A) of its lower density
(B) it is easily available
(C) it is cheap
(D) it has high specific heat

Answer 1

Hint: Radiator is the device which is used in the automobiles. The heavy vehicle engines will definitely have the radiator, the main function of the radiator is to cool the engine when the heat is produced during the running of the engine. To cool the engine the radiator uses some fluid. And the fluid has some properties to withstand the heat.

Complete step by step solution
Radiator is the device which is used to cool the engine or used to reduce the temperature of the engine. In the radiator, it uses some fluid to cool the engine. The fluid is in the radiator, when the engine temperature goes to a certain limit, the thermostat is the device in the radiator which acts as the key to pass the fluid to the engine. As the temperature of the engine increases, the thermostat opens and passes the fluid to the engine. Then the fluid will absorb all the heat from the engine. And returns back to the radiator, then the fluid is allowed to pass through the parallel pipe, so that the temperature of the fluid is reduced.

The fluid which is used in the radiator definitely has some required properties. For example, the specific heat of the fluid must be high. If the specific heat of the fluid is high, so that the less amount of fluid is required to remove more heat. So, the water is used in the radiator, because the water has high specific heat.

Hence, the option (D) is the correct answer.

Note: Nowadays the radiator uses different oils, because the properties of the fluid are more efficient than the water. But, when the radiator was invented it uses the water as a coolant fluid, because it has high specific heat. Nowadays the fluid properties are more efficient than water.