How much energy is required to raise a
substance a certain number of degrees?
The answer is, "It depends on the substance." Some things, like water, can absorb a lot of heat and only change temperature a few degrees. That is why we use it in the radiators of our cars. Other substances show a large increase in temperature for the same amount of heat. The amount of heat a substance requires to raise it one degree is called the specific heat or heat capacity. Here are the heat capacities of some common substances.
| Substance |
Specific heat or Heat capacity |
| Water (liquid) | 4.184 J/g ° C ( 1.00 cal/ g ° C) |
| Aluminum (solid) | 0.90 J/g ° C ( 0.215 cal/ g ° C) |
| Copper (solid) | 0.385 J/g ° C ( 0.092 cal/ g ° C) |
| Iron (solid) | 0.442 J/g ° C ( 0.106 cal/ g ° C) |
| Water (solid) also called ice | 2.089 J/g ° C ( 0.499 cal/ g ° C) |
Sample Problem: How
much energy is required to raise a cup of water (250 grams) 50 ° C?
Use the equation
Where m is mass in grams, SH is the specific
heat and
ΔT is the change in temperature.
