Specific Heat Capacity Or the amount of energy needed to heat substances up
Specific Heat Capacity can be thought of as a measure of how much heat energy is needed to warm the substance up. You will possibly have noticed that it is easier to warm up a saucepan full of oil than it is to warm up one full of water. manufacturer.com/photo/418fa6490f24202f2cc5b5feee0fdde3/Aluminum-Saucepan.jpg
Specific Heat Capacity (C) of a substance is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1g of the substance by 1 o C (or by 1 K). The units of specific heat capacity are J o C -1 g -1 or J K -1 g -1. Sometimes the mass is expressed in kg so the units could also be J o C -1 g -1 or J K -1 kg -1
The amount of heat energy (Q) gained or lost by a substance = mass of substance (m) X specific heat capacity (C) X change in temperature (ΔT) Q = mC p ΔT The equation:
What you need to know Heat Formula: Q = mc p ∆t Q – heat transferred (J) m- mass (g or kg) C p - specific heat capacity (J/g·C° or J/kg·C°) ∆t - temperature change (C°) 1 mL water = 1 g water
Question 1 Heat Formula: Q = mc p ∆t Specific heat capacity of water – J/g C 0 Temperature change of the water – 10 C 0 Mass of water – 60 grams Find the heat transferred - ?
Question 2 Heat Formula: Q = mc p ∆t A copper mass is placed in water and changes the water’s temperature from 60 0 C to 55 0 C. The water has a mass of 50 grams and a specific heat capacity of J/ g C 0 What was the amount of heat transferred from the water to the copper mass?
Question 3 Formula for specific heat: c p = Q/m∆t Heat transferred – 30 Joules Mass of substance – 100 grams Change in temp C Find the specific heat of this substance
Question 4 A substance with a mass of 10 grams is heated to C. The substance is placed in cold water and reaches equilibrium with the water at 50 0 C. The amount of heat transferred from the substance to the water is 500 Joules. Calculate the specific heat capacity of the substance