Heat is the amount of subatomic kinetic energy a substance has. You can just consider it energy, like BTU's. Temperature is the average heat per unit area. So, if you had letÆs say 15 units of energy in 5 units of space, you would have 15/5 or 3 units of temperature. If you had 15 units of energy in 20 units of space, you would have 15/20 or .75 units of temp. Both substances would have the same amount of heat, but the temperatures are radically different.

Now when we say water has more heat CAPACITY, we mean it can hold more heat before it starts going up in temp.

Now we are saying that water will hold almost twice the amount of heat that pure ethylene glycol will. That is all we are saying. not that pure water will run colder. As you know cooling depends on a lot more things than just the transfer medium such as; flow rate, turbulence, pressure of the system, condition of the radiator... ETC.

Do you know what a BTU is? It is the amount of energy it takes to heat up 1 pound of water 1 degree F (about 4186 joules) It only takes .66 units of energy to raise 1 pound of ethylene glycol 1 degree F. That means the water is taking more energy, storing it.

If you still don't believe/understand do this.

Go get a medium sauce pan and measure out 2 cups of water. Get a stop watch and a thermometer capable of 220*. put the pan on the stove and light the fire and start your stop watch. Now do the same to 2 cups of pure antifreeze. You'll find that it takes less time to heat the antifreeze at the same fire setting. thatÆs because the antifreeze can hold less heat, causing the fluid to get hotter faster.


I just did this experiment to make sure I wasnÆt talking out my <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> . It took about 3 minutes to bring the water temp up to 140, and about 2 min. to bring the antifreeze up to 140. It doesnÆt take thousands of dollars of lab equipment to do this; I used the clock with the seconds hand in my kitchen and a sauce pan out of the cupboard.