Heat Capacity
Reference from the original Physics I textbook.
- Heat Capacity
A measurable quantity which specifies the amount of heat needed for an object to change temperature.
- Related Glossary Terms
Heat Capacity Equation, Heat Capacity per Unit Massⓘ, Specific Heat
- Index
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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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.
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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.