Question

water has a much higher specific heat than most other covalent compounds. what do you predict might happen if water had a low specific heat instead? plants would not have enough water to effectively carry out photosynthesis harmful organisms living in water would reproduce at a rapid rate flooding would occur and animals would be forced to migrate organisms that are sensitive to changes in temperature would die

Explanation:

Specific heat is the amount of heat needed to change a substance's temperature. Water's high specific heat stabilizes temperatures. If it had low specific heat, temperature changes would be rapid. Organisms sensitive to temperature changes (like many aquatic and terrestrial species) would struggle to adapt and likely die, as their physiological processes are temperature - dependent. The other options: photosynthesis water availability isn't related to specific heat; harmful organisms' reproduction rate isn't directly tied to water's specific heat; flooding is more about precipitation/runoff than specific heat.

Answer:

D. Organisms that are sensitive to changes in temperature would die