Revise: Specific heat capacitySpecific heat capacity and calculating heat energy

When an object is heated or cooled, its temperature change, \(\Delta T\), depends on the mass of the object and the material it is made from.

For example, when the same amount of heat energy is added to a \(1 kg\) mass and a \(2 kg\) mass of aluminium, the change in temperature of each mass is different.

Also, if \(1 kg\) of copper and \(1 kg\) aluminium have the same amount of heat energy added to them, the change in temperature for each metal is different.

The specific heat capacity, \(c\), is the heat energy that is needed to raise the temperature of \(1kg\) of the substance, by \(1 ^{\circ} C\). Specific heat capacity is measured in joules per kilogram per degree Celsius (\(J kg^{-1^{\circ}}C^{-1}\)).

The heat energy \(E_{h}\) which has to be supplied to a substance of mass \(m\) and specific heat capacity \(c\) to raise its temperature by\(\Delta T\) is given by the following relationship.

\({E_h} = cm\Delta T\)

• \({E_h}\) is measured in joules (\(J\))
• \(m\) is measured in kilograms (\(kg\))
• \(\Delta T\) is measured in degrees Celsius (\(^{\circ}C\))
• \(c\) is measured in joules \(J kg^{-1^{\circ}}C^{-1}\)