Which of the following statements correctly describes an important physical property of liquid water?

Introduction / Context:
Water is a unique substance with several unusual physical properties that are very important for life and the environment. Its density behavior, specific heat capacity, and heat of vaporization influence climate, weather, and biological systems. This question asks you to identify which statement correctly describes a key physical property of liquid water, focusing especially on its capacity to absorb heat and its behavior during phase changes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The options refer to density, specific heat capacity, and heat of vaporization of water.
• We consider water under normal conditions, near room temperature and atmospheric pressure.
• We compare water to many other common liquids and substances.

Concept / Approach:
Water is known to have a relatively high density compared to many liquids, except for the special case of ice being less dense than liquid water. It also has a high specific heat capacity, meaning it can absorb a large amount of heat energy for a small rise in temperature. Additionally, water has a high heat of vaporization, so it requires a large amount of energy to convert it from liquid to gas. The correct statement must reflect these high values, not low ones, for specific heat and heat of vaporization.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine option A, which claims that water has low density compared to most liquids. This is not correct because liquid water is fairly dense and even denser than ice. Step 2: Examine option B, which claims that water has low specific heat capacity. This conflicts with the known fact that water has a high specific heat capacity. Step 3: Examine option C, which claims that water has low heat of vaporization. This is also incorrect because water requires a lot of energy to vaporize. Step 4: Examine option D, which states that water has high specific heat capacity and high heat of vaporization, matching the known physical properties. Step 5: Select option D as the correct statement about the physical properties of water.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider practical observations. Large bodies of water like seas and lakes heat up and cool down slowly, which is a direct consequence of high specific heat capacity. Sweating is effective at cooling the body because water on the skin absorbs a large amount of energy as it evaporates, reflecting a high heat of vaporization. Both phenomena confirm that water does not have low specific heat and low heat of vaporization. Instead, it has high values for both, supporting option D.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is incorrect because water does not generally have low density; in fact, the density of liquid water near 4 degrees Celsius is relatively high, and ice floats because it is less dense than liquid water. Option B is wrong since water has one of the highest specific heat capacities among common substances, not a low one. Option C is wrong because water requires substantial energy to change from liquid to gas, indicating a high, not low, heat of vaporization. These incorrect options reverse or misstate well known properties of water.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the terms high and low when describing physical properties and may not recall the correct direction of these comparisons. Another pitfall is mixing up the special density behavior of ice with general statements about the density of liquid water. To avoid these mistakes, remember that water is special because it can absorb or release large amounts of energy with relatively small temperature changes and because evaporation absorbs a lot of heat. These facts are captured by high specific heat capacity and high heat of vaporization.

Final Answer:
The correct statement about liquid water is that it has high specific heat capacity and high heat of vaporization.