Question #516fc

1 Answer

To calculate the specific heat capacity of a substance, use the formula #Q = m C Delta T#

where Q is the quantity of heat (energy) needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C, measured in J;
m is the mass of the substance, in kg;
C is the specific heat capacity of the material, in #J/(kg) * ^o C#; and
#Delta T# is the temperature change, in #^oC#

If you are looking for the specific heat capacity (C), you will need to isolate it by dividing both sides by #m Delta T#.

Example:

To raise the temperature of 400 g of gold from #50^oC# to #75^oC#, 1.3 kJ of energy is needed. What is the specific heat capacity of gold?

#C = Q / (m Delta T)#

#C = 1300 / (0.4 * 25)#

#C = 1300 / 10#

#C = 130 J/(kg) * ^o C#