The heat supplied to a mass can be expressed as
dQ = m c dt (1)
where
dQ = heat supplied (J, kJ Btu)
m = unit mass (g, kg, lb)
c = specific heat (J/g K, kJ/kg oC, kJ/kg K, Btu/lb oF)
dt = temperature change (K, C°, oF)
(1) can be transferred to express Specific Heat as:
c = dQ / m dt (1b)
Example: The specific heat of iron is 0.45 J/(g K), which means that it takes 0.45 Joules of heat to raise one gram of iron by one degree Kelvin.
Download and print Heat supplied vs. Specfic heat and change in Temperature chart
Specific Heat Gases
There are two definitions of Specific Heat for vapors and gases:
cp = (δh / δT)p - Specific Heat at constant pressure (J/gK)
cv = ( δh / δT)v - Specific Heat at constant volume (J/gK)
For solids and liquids, cp = cv
Use the links to see tabulated values of specific heat of gases, common liquids and fluids, food and foodstuff, metals and semimetals, common solids and other common substances.
Gas Constant
The individual individual gas constant, R, can be expressed as
R = cp - cv (2)
Ratio of Specific Heat
The Ratio of Specific Heat is expressed as
k = cp / cv (3)
Molar Heat Capacity (Cp) is the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of one mol of a substance by one degree at constant pressure.
It is expressed in joules per moles per degrees Kelvin (or Celsius), J/(mol K).
Example: The molar heat capacity of iron is 25.10 J/(mol K), which means that it takes 25.10 Joules of heat to raise 1 mol of iron by 1 degree Kelvin.
Tabulated values of molar heat capacity, Cp, of a lot of organic and inorganic substances can be found in Standard enthalpy of formation, Gibbs free energy of formation, entropy and molar heat capacity of organic substances and Standard state and enthalpy of formation, Gibbs free energy of formation, entropy and heat capacity, together with ΔH°f, ΔG°f and S° for the same substances at 25°C.
Converting between Specific heat and Molar heat capacity
The specific heat capacity can be calculated from the molar heat capacity, and vise versa:
cp = Cp / M and
Cp = cp . M
where
cp = specific heat capacity
Cp = molar heat capacity
M = molar weight of the actual substance (g/mol).
Example: Methanol (with molecular formula CH3OH) has a molar heat capacity, Cp, of 81.1 J/(mol K). What is the specific heat capacity, cp?
First, we calculate (or find) the molar weight of methanol: 1*12.01g/mol C + 4*1.008g/mol H + 1*16.00g/mol O = 32.04 g/mol CH3OH
Then, the specific heat capacity of methanol is: cp = 81.8 J/(molK) / 32.04 g/mol = 2.53 J/(g K)
Converting between commonly used Units
2 kg of aluminum is heated from 20 oC to 100 oC. Specific heat of aluminum is 0.91 kJ/kg0C and the heat required can be calculated as
dQ = (2 kg) (0.91 kJ/kg0C) ((100 oC) - (20 oC))
= 145.6 (kJ)
One liter of water is heated from 0 oC to boiling 100 oC. Specific heat of water is 4.19 kJ/kg0C and the heat required can be calculated as
dQ = (1 litre) (1 kg/litre) (4.19 kJ/kg0C) ((100 oC) - (0 oC))
= 419 (kJ)
= 419 (kWs) (1/3600 h/s)
= 0.12 kWh
The SI-system, unit converters, physical constants, drawing scales and more.
Material properties of gases, fluids and solids - densities, specific heats, viscosities and more.
Work, heat and energy systems.
Specific heat at constant volume, specific heat at constant pressure, specific heat ratio and individual gas constant - R - common gases as argon, air, ether, nitrogen and many more.
Specific heats for some common liquids and fluids - acetone, oil, paraffin, water and many more.
Specific heat of commonly used metals like aluminum, iron, mercury and many more - imperial and SI units.
Common solids - like brick, cement, glass and many more - and their specific heats - in Imperial and SI units.
Common thermodynamic terms and functions - potential energy, kinetic energy, thermal or internal energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy and more.
Thermal properties of water at different temperatures like density, freezing temperature, boiling temperature, latent heat of melting, latent heat of evaporation, critical temperature and more.
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