Helium gas has the special property that its thermal energy is ...

[BRWH]

Helium gas has the special property that its thermal energy is directly proportional to its Kelvin temperature. Consider a flask of helium with a temperature of 10C.
 
  If it is heated until it has twice as much thermal energy, show that its temperature is 293C. Why would doubling the thermal energy of a flask of 10C water not produce the same temperature?
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

If water had a lower specific heat capacity, would ponds and lakes be more or less likely to freeze in winter?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[Jane]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: Thermal energy changes are directly proportional to absolute temperature changes. So 10C is 283 kelvins, and two times 283 kelvins = 566 kelvin. So helium with doubled thermal energy would have a temperature of 566 kelvin. Converting this to Celsius means subtracting 273 from 566, which gives 293C. For water there is the added complication of phase change. Phase change for water is so great that doubling the thermal energy of a flask of 10C water would be part water and part steam at 100C

Answer to Question 2

Answer: Bodies of water would more likely freeze because a lower specific heat capacity means more decrease in temperature as water loses energy, and the water would be more readily cooled to the freezing point.