Specific heat capacity

Specific heat capacity

• amount of heat energy needed to raise temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius

• material-specific property

• energy a substance can store in the form of heat

high specific heat capacity

• absorb a lot of heat without a significant temperature change

• warms/cools slowly

• takes much more energy to change temperature

• Ex: water

low specific heat capacity

• heat up quickly with less energy input

• substance warms up and cools down quickly

• takes much less energy to change its temperature

• ex: metals

heat energy formula

• Q = mcΔt

• Q = energy (heat) (joules)

• m = mass (grams)

• c = specific heat capacity (joules per gram degree Celsius (J/gºC))

• Δt = (t_final - t_initial) change in temperature (degree celsius)

Q

amount of heat absorbed/released when temperature changes a number of degrees

temperature formula

• Δt = Q/mc

• use formula to find final and initial (final: add, initial: subtract)

mass formula

m = Q/cΔt

specific heat capacity formula

c = Q/mΔt

leading zeros

not significant digits

trailing zeros

are significant digits

sandwiched zeros

between two non-zero digits are significant digits

water specific heat capacity

4.19 J/g°C

sand specific heat capacity

0.290 J/g°C

oil specific heat capacity

3.23 J/gºC

temperature and specific heat order (lowest to highest)

1. Gold

2. Silver

3. Copper

4. Cement

5. Water

sensible heat

• feel and measure

• Temperature changes

• state stays the same

latent heat

• state of substance changes

• does not change the temperature (stays the same)

day

land is warmer than water

sea breeze

• blowing toward the land from the sea

• regulate temperature in coastal areas

• bring cooler air inland from the ocean during the day

• Land heats up/cools down faster than water due to water's higher specific heat capacity

night

water is warmer than land

land breeze

• blowing toward the sea from the land

• land cools faster than the sea

Pressure changes

• air above warming land is less dense (low-pressure area)

• air over the cooler water is denser (high-pressure area)