Volumetric heat capacity (VHC) describes the ability of a given volume of a substance to store heat while undergoing a given temperature change, but without undergoing a phase change. It is different from specific heat capacity in that the VHC depends on the volume of the material, while the specific heat is based on the mass of the material. If given a specific heat value of a substance, one can convert it to the VHC by multiplying the specific heat by the density of the substance. Volume, also called capacity, is a quantification of how much space an object occupies. ... A red-hot iron rod cooling after being worked by a blacksmith. ... 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. ... In its most common usage, the term phase change indicates that a substance has changed among the three classical phases of matter: solid, liquid and gas. ... The specific heat capacity (symbol c or s, also called specific heat) of a substance is defined as heat capacity per unit mass. ... Mass is a property of physical objects that, roughly speaking, measures the amount of matter they contain. ... In its simplest form, multiplication is the sum of a list of identical numbers. ... Density (symbol: ρ - Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per unit of volume. ...

Dulong and Petit predicted in 1818 that ρc_p would be constant for all solids (the Dulong-Petit law). In fact, the quantity varies from about 1.2 to 4.5 J/m³K. For fluids it is in the range 1.3 to 1.9, and for gases it is a constant 0.001 J/m³K. Pierre Louis Dulong (February 12, 1785 - July 19, 1838) was a French physicist and chemist. ... Alexis Thérèse Petit (October 2, 1791 - June 21, 1820) was a French physicist. ... 1818 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Dulong-Petit law, found in 1819 by Pierre Louis Dulong and Alexis Thérèse Petit, states the classical expression for the specific heat capacity of a crystal due to its lattice vibrations. ...

The volumetric heat capacity is defined as having SI units of J/(m³·K). It can also be described in Imperial units of BTU/(ft³·F°). The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French language name Système International dUnités) is the most widely used system of units. ... The joule (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy, or work. ... The cubic metre (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ... The kelvin (symbol: K) is the SI unit of temperature, and is one of the seven SI base units. ... 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 cubic foot (symbols ft³, cu. ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ...

Engineer jargon: thermal inertia

thermal inertia is a term commonly used by engineers modelling heat transfers when referring to the volumetric heat capacity. For example, this material has a high thermal inertia. Or, thermal inertia plays an important role in this system, which means that dynamic effects are prevalent in a model, so that a steady-state calculation will yield unaccurate results. Engineering is the application of science to the needs of humanity. ... This article is in the process of being merged into Heat, and may be outdated. ... The word dynamics can refer to: a branch of mechanics; see dynamics (mechanics) the volume of music; see dynamics (music) When used referring to mechanics, it is referring to the study of the motion of both rigid bodies and particles. ... An abstract model (or conceptual model) is a theoretical construct that represents physical, biological or social processes, with a set of variables and a set of logical and quantitative relationships between them. ... The word dynamics can refer to: a branch of mechanics; see dynamics (mechanics) the volume of music; see dynamics (music) When used referring to mechanics, it is referring to the study of the motion of both rigid bodies and particles. ...

It is more of an easy language shortcut than a real scientific analogy. In mechanics, inertia is what limits the acceleration of an object. Because of inertia you can't bring a car from 0 to 100 mph in 0.1 seconds. Similarly, in heat transfer, a higher value of the volumetric heat capacity means a longer time for the system to reach steady-state. Mechanics refers to: a craft relating to machinery (from the Latin mechanicus, from the Greek mechanikos, meaning one skilled in machines), or a range of disciplines in science and engineering. ... In psychology, social inertia describes a persons resistance to change. ... Acceleration is the time rate of change of velocity, and at any point on a v-t graph, it is given by the gradient of the tangent to that point In physics, acceleration (symbol: a) is defined as the rate of change (or time derivative) of velocity. ... In psychology, social inertia describes a persons resistance to change. ... This article is in the process of being merged into Heat, and may be outdated. ... The word dynamics can refer to: a branch of mechanics; see dynamics (mechanics) the volume of music; see dynamics (music) When used referring to mechanics, it is referring to the study of the motion of both rigid bodies and particles. ...

Constant volume and constant pressure.

For gases it is useful to distinguish between volumetric heat capacity at constant volume and at constant pressure. This distinction has the same meaning as for specific heat capacity. Pressure (symbol: p) is the force per unit area acting on a surface in a direction perpendicular to that surface. ... The specific heat capacity (symbol c or s, also called specific heat) of a substance is defined as heat capacity per unit mass. ...

See also

• temperature
• heat capacity
• specific heat capacity
• thermodynamics equations