Heat capacity

• Specific heat capacity


  The amount of heat energy, in joules, needed to raise the temperature of a substance, a kilogram of that substance, by one degree Celsius
• Specific heat capacity


  • Units are joules per kilogram per degree Celsius
• Same amount of energy from the sun

  Sand heats up quicker and to a higher temperature than water
• Same amount of water and oil heated for the same time

  Oil heats up to 60 degrees, water only heats up to 30 degrees
• Water has higher heat capacity than oil


  Water has twice the capacity to absorb and store heat energy as oil
• Water has a really high specific heat capacity compared to other substances like oil and sand