r/AskPhysics • u/GarageJim • 7h ago

Specific heat

I am building a mini (tabletop size) cold frame in my back yard to grow a few seedlings for houseplants. Some people recommend putting jugs of water inside to help it stay warmer at night when it gets cold out. Apparently this has something to do with the specific heat of water.

My question is: is water the best material for this purpose or are there other materials that have even higher specific heat that would be more efficient?

Thanks!

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u/Apprehensive-Draw409 7h ago

If you factor cost in, water beats all materials, because of its cost.

Ammonia is slightly better, but a hassle to handle.

Hydrogen is really good, if you have a solid block of it. :-)

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u/GarageJim 6h ago

I mean hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. How hard could it be to find a brick of it?

(Pretty hard I’m guessing 🙂)

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u/Jesus_died_for_u 4h ago

I believe water is still cheaper to obtain.

Plus there are safety concerns. If water spills, not a big deal. If ammonia or hydrogen spills….you got a much bigger problem. Store ammonia is mostly water. Real ammonia is no joke.