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Specific Heat Capacity Calculator

Results

Heat Energy (Q):

0 J

Temperature Change (ΔT):

0 °C

Alternative Units:

0 kJ 0 cal 0 kcal
Calculation Steps

Q = m × c × ΔT

Enter values to see calculation steps...

Formula & Theory

The Specific Heat Capacity Formula

Q = m × c × ΔT

Symbol Quantity Unit (SI) Description
Q Heat Energy Joules (J) Amount of heat transferred
m Mass Kilograms (kg) Mass of the substance
c Specific Heat Capacity J/(kg·K) Energy required to raise 1kg by 1K
ΔT Temperature Change Kelvin (K) or °C Final temperature minus initial temperature
Understanding Specific Heat Capacity

Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance per unit of mass. It's an intensive property that varies between different materials.

Key Concepts:
  • Materials with high specific heat capacity (like water) require more energy to change temperature
  • Metals typically have low specific heat capacities
  • The SI unit is joules per kilogram per kelvin (J/(kg·K))
  • 1 calorie = 4.184 joules (exact definition)
  • For temperature changes, 1°C = 1K (the size is the same, just different zero points)
Practical Applications:
  • Designing heating and cooling systems
  • Cooking and food preparation
  • Thermal energy storage
  • Climate and weather patterns
  • Material selection for thermal applications

Example Calculations

Heating Water

Calculate the energy needed to heat 2 liters of water from 20°C to 100°C.

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Cooling Aluminum

Find the heat released when a 500g aluminum pan cools from 180°C to 25°C.

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Melting Ice

Determine energy to warm 1kg of ice from -10°C to 0°C (before melting).

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Heating Air

Calculate energy to heat a room's air (50m³) from 10°C to 22°C.

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How to Use These Examples

Click on any example above to automatically load the parameters into the calculator. You can then modify any values to explore different scenarios.

Material Properties

Common Specific Heat Capacities

Reference values at standard temperature and pressure (25°C unless noted)

Material Specific Heat Capacity Density (kg/m³) Notes
Water (liquid, 20°C) 4182 J/(kg·K) 998 High heat capacity
Ice (0°C) 2108 J/(kg·K) 917 At melting point
Aluminum 897 J/(kg·K) 2700 Common metal
Iron 450 J/(kg·K) 7870 Steel is similar
Copper 385 J/(kg·K) 8960 Good conductor
Gold 129 J/(kg·K) 19320 Very low heat capacity
Air (dry, 300K) 1005 J/(kg·K) 1.2 At 1 atm pressure
Wood (oak) 2000 J/(kg·K) 700 Varies by type
Glass 840 J/(kg·K) 2500 Soda-lime glass
Note: Specific heat capacity can vary with temperature and pressure. These are typical values for reference.

Help & Instructions

How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the mass of your substance (or select a material preset)
  2. Enter or select the specific heat capacity
  3. Enter the initial and final temperatures
  4. Select appropriate units for each input
  5. Click "Calculate Heat Energy" to see results
  6. View the calculation steps below the results
Make sure your temperature units match for initial and final temperatures!
Frequently Asked Questions

Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1 Kelvin (or 1°C). It's an intrinsic property of materials that determines how they respond to heat.

Water's high specific heat capacity (about 4182 J/(kg·K)) comes from hydrogen bonding between water molecules. It takes considerable energy to break these bonds and increase molecular motion (temperature).

For temperature changes (ΔT), 1°C = 1K, so you can use either. However, for absolute temperatures, remember that 0°C = 273.15K. The calculator handles conversions automatically.

The same formula (Q = mcΔT) can be rearranged:
  • For mass: m = Q/(cΔT)
  • For specific heat: c = Q/(mΔT)
Enter two known values and solve for the third.

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