Specific Heat Capacity

• What is specific heat capacity?

  Energy needed to raise 1 kg by 1° C
• What equation is used to calculate the change in thermal energy?

  Change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × temperature change
• What is the specific heat capacity of water?

  4,200 Joules per kilogram per °C
• What is the temperature change when heating water from 20° C to 100° C?

  80° C
• How much thermal energy is stored in a 1.5 kg aluminium plate when its temperature rises from 20° C to 200° C?

  246,510 Joules
• What is the specific heat capacity of aluminium?

  913 Joules per kilogram per °C
• How do you calculate the mass of water in the hot water bottle?

  Rearrange the thermal energy equation
• What is the process to calculate thermal energy change?

  • Identify mass of the substance
  • Determine specific heat capacity
  • Calculate temperature change
  • Use the formula:

  Change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × temperature change
• What are the steps to rearranging the thermal energy equation to find mass?

  1. Start with the equation:

  Change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × temperature change

  1. Rearrange to isolate mass:

  mass = Change in thermal energy / (specific heat capacity × temperature change)