Heat Capacity per Unit Mass
Reference from the original Physics I textbook.
- Heat Capacity per Unit Mass
Q = heat transferred (J); m = mass (kg); c = specific heat (J/(kg·K)); T_f, T_i = final and initial temperature (°C or K).
- Related Glossary Terms
- Index
Chapter 7 - FFR - Thermal Expansion
Reviewed physics notes (1)
These corrections keep the original lesson’s purpose while fixing errors in the source edition.
- Specific heat units must match the stated kilogram mass. — Reference 1
Glossary and deeper reading · 2 refreshers
These editorial refreshers supplement the reading. Definitions and examples are added guidance; original source wording and recorded answers remain in their original context.
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Specific heat
Specific heat is the energy needed per unit mass for a unit temperature increase under the stated conditions. Its units are joules per kilogram per kelvin, and the simple calorimetry model treats it as constant without a phase change. For example, equal masses of two materials can require different energy transfers for the same temperature rise.
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Heat capacity
Heat capacity is the energy needed to raise the temperature of an entire object by one temperature unit under specified conditions. For a uniform sample in the simple constant-specific-heat model, it equals mass times specific heat. For example, twice as much of the same material has twice the heat capacity when its state and specific heat are unchanged.