GCSE Physics · Edexcel 1PH0 · Topic 14C
Specific heat capacity
Key points
- Specific heat capacity () is the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 °C.
- Equation: , with in J/kg °C. Water has a high value, about 4200 J/kg °C.
- A substance with a high specific heat capacity heats up and cools down slowly.
- Core practical: heat a block or water with an electric heater, measure the energy supplied (joulemeter or ) and the temperature rise, then calculate .
- Insulate the block to reduce energy loss; otherwise the measured value of is too high.
- Do not confuse this with latent heat: specific heat capacity involves a temperature change, latent heat involves a change of state.
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Some materials heat up quickly, others need a lot of energy for the same temperature rise. Specific heat capacity measures this, and it explains why water is used in heating systems and why the sea warms more slowly than the land.
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