NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Specific heat

The specific heat capacity (symbol c or s, also called specific heat) of a substance is defined as heat capacity per unit mass. The SI unit for specific heat capacity is the joule per kilogram kelvin, J·kg^-1·K^-1 or J/(kg·K), which is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of the substance by one kelvin. Heat capacity can be measured by using calorimetry. Heat capacity (abbreviated Cth or just C, also called thermal capacity) is the ability of matter to store heat. ... Mass is a property of physical objects that, roughly speaking, measures the amount of matter they contain. ... The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French phrase, SystÃ¨me International dUnitÃ©s) is the most widely used system of units. ... A red-hot iron rod cooling after being worked by a blacksmith. ... The joule (symbol J, also called newton meter, watt second, or coulomb volt) is the SI unit of energy and work. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... The kelvin (symbol: K) is the SI unit of temperature, and is one of the seven SI base units. ... Temperature is the physical property of a system which underlies the common notions of hot and cold; the material with the higher temperature is said to be hotter. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... The kelvin (symbol: K) is the SI unit of temperature, and is one of the seven SI base units. ... Calorimetry is the science of measuring the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes. ...

The equivalent definition using cgs units is the amount of energy (measured in ergs) required to raise the temperature of one gram of the substance by one degree Celsius (erg/(g·°C)). Other units of specific heat capacity include calories per gram degree Celsius (cal/(g·°C) or cal/(g·K)) and Btu per pound degree Fahrenheit (Btu/(lb·°F)) CGS is an acronym for centimetre-gram-second. ... An erg is the unit of energy and mechanical work in the centimetre-gram-second (CGS) system of units, symbol erg. Its name is derived from the Greek word meaning work. The erg is a quite small unit, equal to a force of one dyne exerted for a distance of... Temperature is the physical property of a system which underlies the common notions of hot and cold; the material with the higher temperature is said to be hotter. ... The gram or gramme, symbol g, is a unit of mass, and is defined in the SI system of units as one one-thousandth of a kilogram (i. ... The degree Celsius (Â°C or â„ƒ (Unicode 0x2103)) is a unit of temperature named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701â€“1744), who first proposed a similar system in 1742. ... A calorie refers to a non-SI unit of energy. ... The British thermal unit (BTU or Btu) is a non-metric unit of energy, used in the United States and, to a lesser extent, the UK (where it is generally only used for heating systems). ...

The symbol c_p is often used to denote specific heat capacity at constant pressure.

Substances with low specific heat such as metals require less input energy to increase their temperature. Substances with high specific heat such as water require much more energy to increase their temperature. The specific heat can also be interpreted as a measure of how well a substance preserves its temperature, i.e. "stores" heat, hence the term "heat capacity".

Factors that influence heat capacity measurements

Water (from the Old English word wÃ¦ter; c. ... Intermolecular forces are electromagnetic forces which act between molecules or between widely separated regions of a macromolecule. ... http://www. ...

Table of specific heat capacities

In the physical sciences, a phase is a set of states of a macroscopic physical system that have relatively uniform chemical composition and physical properties (i. ... General Name, Symbol, Number aluminium, Al, 13 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 13, 3, p Appearance silvery Atomic mass 26. ... Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance copper, metallic Atomic mass 63. ... A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ... Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless chemical compound, one of the alcohols that is most often found in alcoholic beverages. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... Graphite (named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789, from the Greek Î³ÏÎ±Ï†ÎµÎ¹Î½: to draw/write, for its use in pencils) is one of the allotropes of carbon. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... General Name, Symbol, Number lithium, Li, 3 Chemical series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1, 2, s Appearance silvery white/gray Atomic mass 6. ... General Name, Symbol, Number mercury, Hg, 80 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 6, d Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 200. ... Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ... Water (from the Old English word wÃ¦ter; c. ... Temperature and air pressure can vary from one place to another on the Earth, and can also vary in the same place with time. ...

Table of specific heat capacities

See also