Specific Heat Calculator

Specific Heat Capacity ($c$) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 degree Celsius. A high $c$ means the substance is 'stubborn'—it takes a lot of energy to heat it up, but it also stays hot for a long time (like water). A low $c$ means it heats up instantly (like copper).

This is due to Thermal Inertia. Water has a specific heat of 4186 J/kg°C, while sand is only about 830 J/kg°C. This means water requires 5 times more solar energy to rise 1 degree than sand does. The sand heats up quickly in the sun, while the massive ocean absorbs the same heat with barely any temperature change.

$Q$ is the Total Heat Energy (Joules). $m$ is Mass (kg). $c$ is Specific Heat Capacity. $\Delta T$ is the Change in Temperature. The formula tells you exactly how much energy you need to add (or remove) to change an object's temperature.

They reach a Thermal Equilibrium. The heat lost by the hot water is exactly equal to the heat gained by the cold water (assuming no heat is lost to the air). You can solve this with our 'Mixture Equilibrium' calculator above.

Because of its incredibly high Heat Capacity (4186). It can absorb a massive amount of waste heat from the engine without its own temperature rising to dangerous levels. If we used oil or alcohol, the liquid would boil away much faster.

Yes, slightly. The values in our table are averages for standard temperatures (25°C). At extremely low temperatures (near Absolute Zero), specific heat drops dramatically according to the Debye model. But for school physics and engineering, we treat it as a constant.

Latent Heat ($L$) is the 'hidden' energy used to change state (solid to liquid, or liquid to gas) without changing temperature. When ice melts at 0°C, it absorbs energy but stays at 0°C until it's all water. The formula for this is $Q = mL$.

Ice (2090 J/kg°C) has a lower specific heat than Liquid Water (4186 J/kg°C). This is because the crystalline structure of ice limits how the molecules can vibrate/rotate to store energy, whereas liquid water's hydrogen bonds allow for more freedom of motion (degrees of freedom).

Copper has a very low specific heat (385 J/kg°C) and high thermal conductivity. This means it responds instantly to changes in the stove's heat. If you turn the flame down, the copper pan cools immediately. A cast iron pan (high heat capacity) would keep cooking the food for minutes.

Heat Capacity ($C$) is for a whole object (e.g., 'this specific brick'). Specific Heat Capacity ($c$) is for a material (e.g., 'concrete in general'). $C = m \times c$.