Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Specific heat refers to the amount of heat energy required to raise one gram of substance by one degree Celsius.
Related terms
Heat Capacity: This is the total amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of an entire object, not just one gram. It's like how much water it would take to completely saturate a giant sponge.
Calorimetry: This is the process used to measure changes in thermal energy, or in our analogy, how much 'water' our 'sponge' can hold before it starts 'dripping.'
Thermal Conductivity: This refers to how quickly heat energy transfers through a substance. In other words, how fast our sponge gets soaked.