1. What is Specific Heat Capacity?

Specific heat capacity (c) is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1 Kelvin. It's an intensive property that characterizes how substances absorb and transfer thermal energy.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the calorimetry formula:

Where:

• \( c \) — Specific heat capacity (J/kg·K)
• \( Q \) — Heat energy transferred (J)
• \( m \) — Mass of the substance (kg)
• \( \Delta T \) — Temperature change (K)

Explanation: The formula relates the heat absorbed or released by a substance to its mass, temperature change, and intrinsic heat capacity.

3. Importance of Specific Heat Calculation

Details: Calculating specific heat is essential for thermal analysis, material selection in engineering, understanding climate systems, and designing heating/cooling systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter heat in joules, mass in kilograms, and temperature change in Kelvin. All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between heat capacity and specific heat?
A: Heat capacity is extensive (depends on amount of material), while specific heat is intensive (per unit mass).

Q2: What are typical specific heat values?
A: Water has high specific heat (4186 J/kg·K), metals are lower (e.g., iron ~450 J/kg·K), gases vary widely.

Q3: Does specific heat change with temperature?
A: Yes, especially for gases and near phase transitions, though often treated as constant for small ΔT.

Q4: How is this related to calorimetry?
A: Calorimetry experiments measure Q and ΔT to determine c of unknown materials.

Q5: What are common sources of error?
A: Heat loss to environment, incomplete mixing, and neglecting container heat capacity can affect accuracy.