Heat
The amount of thermal energy in a body; a measure of total kinetic and potential energies.
Calorimeter
An instrument used to measure heat.
Joules
The SI unit of heat measurement.
Heat Capacity
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a body by 1 degree Celsius or 1 Kelvin.
Specific Heat Capacity
The quantity of heat required to raise 1kg of a substance through one degree rise in temperature.
Δθ
The change in temperature.
Q (Quantity of Heat)
The heat energy gained or lost by a body due to temperature change, given by Q = mcΔθ.
Sensible Heat
The heat energy which produces a rise or fall in the temperature of a substance.
Latent Heat
The heat energy required to change the state of a substance without changing its temperature.
Specific Latent Heat of Fusion (Lf)
The quantity of heat required to convert a unit mass of substance from solid to liquid state at its melting point.
Specific Latent Heat of Vaporization (Lv)
The quantity of heat required to convert a unit mass of substance from its liquid to vapor state at its boiling point.
Conduction
The process of transferring heat within or between bodies through the vibration of molecules.
Convection
The process by which heat energy is transferred in a fluid by the actual movement of heated particles.
Radiation
The transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves from a source to an absorbing body without any medium.
Thermos Flask
A container used to retain the temperature of its contents by preventing heat loss through conduction, convection, and radiation.
Heat Transfer
The movement of heat from one point or body to another due to temperature differences.
Heat change (Δθ)
Should always be a positive value; calculated as θ2 – θ1 for heating and θ1 – θ2 for cooling.
Heat Exchange Principle
Heat gained by water and calorimeter equals heat lost by the solid.
Resistance
Heat increases the resistance of metallic conductors.
Temperature
A measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.
Caloric Method
A method of determining specific heat capacity using a known mass of heated solid and water in a calorimeter.