Specific heat capacity ($c$) is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius. It is a property that varies between different materials.
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The specific heat capacity of water is $4.18 \text{J/g}^\circ \text{C}$, which is relatively high compared to many other substances.
Specific heat capacity can be used in the calculation $q = mc\Delta T$, where $q$ is heat energy, $m$ is mass, and $\Delta T$ is the change in temperature.
Metals typically have lower specific heat capacities than non-metals, meaning they require less energy to change their temperatures.
Specific heat capacity is an intrinsic property, meaning it does not depend on the amount of substance present.
Units for specific heat capacity are usually expressed in joules per gram per degree Celsius (J/g°C).
Review Questions
What is the formula that includes specific heat capacity to calculate the amount of heat absorbed or released?
Why does water have a higher specific heat capacity compared to most metals?
How does the specific heat capacity affect the thermal stability of a substance?
Related terms
Heat (q): The form of energy that transfers between two substances due to a temperature difference.
$\Delta T$: Symbol representing the change in temperature, calculated as final temperature minus initial temperature.
Calorimetry: The process of measuring the amount of heat involved in a chemical or physical process using a calorimeter.