Specific Heat Capacity

Heat capacity

The quantity of heat energy required to raise the temperature by 1 degree celsius.

An object with higher heat capacity needs ...

more heat supplied to change 1 unit of the temperature

The SI unit of heat capacity

Joules per Kelvin (J/K)

Objects with higher heat capacity

Objects with larger mass

Heat capacity formula

Specific heat capacity

The amount of heat required to change the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C.

The use of specific heat capacity is a physical quantity

To compare the heat capacity of a given material of the same mass

The SI unit of specific heat capacity

J/kg/°C

The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J/kg/°C

4200J of heat energy is needed to change the temperature of 1kg water by 1°C

Specific heat capacity formula