Specific Heat Post Lab

What is specific heat?

Specific heat is the amount of energy required to heat one gram of water by one degree Celsius, Specific heat of water is 1 calorie/ gram celsius, or 4.18 J/gC.

Which sample showed the greater change in temperature?

The sand showed a greater change in temperature

What is the specific heat of water, and the equation used to find energy?

q (energy)= m(mass) c(specific heat of water) T (change in temperature) Specific heat of water is 4.18j/ g Celsius

Compare the specific heat of the water and the sand.

Once completing the study and the  math, we found out that the water had a higher specific heat than the sand. This means that the water was more resistant to temperature change than the sand, as it required more energy to raise one gram by one degree Celsius compared to the sand. This is shown in the study as although they received the same amount of energy, the water’s temperature change was less/ lower than the sands.

Why is a substance with a higher specific heat capacity more resistance to temperature change than a lower specific heat?

A substance with a high specific heat capacity requires more energy to raise the temperature one Celsius per gram, meaning that it resists temperature changes as it heats and cools down slowly. A lower specific heat capacity requires less energy to raise 1 gram of a substance by 1 Celsius, meaning that it resists heat less than the higher specific capacity, as it heats and cools down faster than the one with the higher specific heat capacity.