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Physics vocabulary · Heat and Thermodynamics

Specific heat capacity

Meaning in physics, with examples

nounCommon term

In physics, specific heat capacity means: The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 K (or 1 °C). Water has a high value, about 4200 J/(kg·K).

In Turkish: öz ısı, özgül ısı, öz ısı kapasitesi

How it is used

Symbol c, used in Q = mcΔT, and often shortened to 'specific heat'. A material with a high specific heat capacity heats up and cools down slowly, which helps keep coastal climates mild. It is measured in the lab with an electric heater, a joulemeter and a thermometer.

Example sentences

  1. Because water has a high specific heat capacity, it is used in central heating systems.

  2. Use Q = mcΔT to find the specific heat capacity of the aluminium block.

Common collocations

  • specific heat capacity of water
  • high specific heat capacity
  • measure the specific heat capacity
  • heat capacity
  • heatEnergy that flows from a hotter object to a colder one because of the temperature difference between them. Like all energy, it is measured in joules (J).
  • temperatureA measure of how hot or cold something is, linked to the average kinetic energy of its particles. In science it is measured in kelvin (K) or degrees Celsius (°C).
  • latent heatThe energy absorbed or released when a substance changes state, for example from solid to liquid, without any change in its temperature.
  • heat transferThe movement of thermal energy from a hotter place to a colder one. It happens in three ways: conduction, convection and radiation.
  • energyThe ability of a system to do work or cause change. It comes in many forms, such as kinetic, potential, thermal and chemical, and it is measured in joules (J).

More terms: Heat and Thermodynamics

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