Heat capacity
The heat capacity of an object determines the extent to which its temperature changes on addition or removal of heat.
Objects with lower heat capacity require less heat to increase their temperature.
The specific heat capacity of a metal like iron is lower than air or water.
The high heat capacity of water means that the oceans moderate the temperature difference between night and day. Heat from the sun is stored during the day, and then released at night to warm air that moves in over land.
*For the Kelvin temperature scale, 0 K equals –273 °C,
but the size of one Kelvin is the same as 1 degree Celsius.
Thus the magnitude of differences in Kelvin and Celsius are equal.
Heat capacity (C) is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of an object by 1°C (or 1 K*). The heat capacity of an object depends both on the composition and the mass of the object. Heat capacity has the unit J K–1 (or J °C–1).
Specific heat capacity (c) is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of pure substance 1°C (or 1 K*). Specific heat capacity depends only on the nature of the object.
Specific heat capacity (c) is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of pure substance 1°C (or 1 K*). Specific heat capacity depends only on the nature of the object.
| c/J g–1 K–1 | |
| iron | 0.45 |
| air | 1.01 |
| water | 4.184 |
The specific heat capacity of a metal like iron is lower than air or water.
The high heat capacity of water means that the oceans moderate the temperature difference between night and day. Heat from the sun is stored during the day, and then released at night to warm air that moves in over land.
but the size of one Kelvin is the same as 1 degree Celsius.
Thus the magnitude of differences in Kelvin and Celsius are equal.