Do you know that a liter of water at 4°C weighs 1kg? how much does 20 L of water weigh at this temperature?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Yes, at 4°C, 1 liter of water has a mass of exactly 1 kilogram. Therefore, to find the weight of 20 liters of water at this temperature:
Calculation: 1 liter=1 kg1\ \text{liter} = 1\ \text{kg}1 liter=1 kg 20 liters=20 kg20\ \text{liters} = 20\ \text{kg}20 liters=20 kg
Correct Answer:
20 liters of water at 4°C weighs 20 kilograms.
Explanation
At 4 degrees Celsius, water reaches its maximum density, which is approximately 1 kilogram per liter. This specific property arises due to the arrangement of water molecules. As the temperature decreases, water molecules move closer together until they reach their most compact form at 4°C. Below this point, the structure of the molecules becomes more open due to hydrogen bonding, resulting in a decrease in density.
Understanding the relationship between volume and mass is crucial in many scientific and engineering contexts. The metric system is built to make such conversions straightforward. A liter is a unit of volume, while a kilogram is a unit of mass. For pure water at 4°C, the conversion is direct: 1 liter equals 1 kilogram. No complicated formula or conversion factor is needed in this specific case because the properties of water at this temperature are well defined.
When scaling up the volume, the mass increases proportionally. Since each liter weighs one kilogram, twenty liters simply amount to twenty kilograms. This principle is particularly useful in laboratory work, cooking, environmental science, and industrial processes where water measurement is involved.
Additionally, this consistency in density makes water a reliable reference substance for calibrating scientific instruments. It also simplifies the estimation of weight for transportation, plumbing, and irrigation purposes. Knowing that 20 liters equals 20 kilograms aids in understanding load capacities and ensures safety and efficiency in planning.
In summary, 20 liters of water at 4°C has a mass of 20 kilograms due to the defined density of water at that precise temperature. This direct correlation between volume and mass is a unique and useful physical property of water.
