specific heat capacity

• The specific heat capacity of a material is the energy required to raise one kilogram (kg) of the material by one degree Celsius (°C).
• When materials are heated, the molecules gain kinetic energy and start moving faster.
• Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules
• Different materials require different amounts of energy to change temperature. The amount of energy needed depends on:

  • the mass of the material
  • the substance of the material (specific heat capacity)
  • the desired temperature change
• The amount of energy required to change the temperature of a material depends on the specific heat capacity of the material.
• The specific heat capacity of water is 4,200 Joules per kilogram per degree Celsius (J/kg°C). 
• The amount of thermal energy stored or released as the temperature of a system changes can be calculated using the equation:

  change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × temperature change
• Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules present. Thermal energy of an object depends upon the temperature and its mass