Define heat capacity and specific heat capacity?

Answer 1

Heat capacity is The ratio of the heat energy absorbed by a substance to the substance's increase in temperature.

The quantity of heat required to raise a unit mass of homogeneous material one unit in temperature along a specified path, provided that during the process no phase or chemical changes occur, is known as the heat capacity of the material. Moreover, the path is so restricted that the only work effects are those necessarily done on the surroundings to cause the change to conform to the specified path. The path is usually at either constant pressure or constant volume.

In accordance with the first law of thermodynamics, heat capacity at constant pressure Cp is equal to the rate of change of enthalpy with temperature at constant pressure (?H/?T)p. Heat capacity at constant volume Cv is the rate of change of internal energy with temperature at constant volume (?U/?T)v.

It is usually expressed as calories per degree in terms of the amount of the material being considered. Heat capacity and its temperature variation depend on differences in energy levels for atoms. Heat capacities are measured with a calorimeter and are important as a means of determining the entropies of materials.

Answer 2

The specific heat capacity (also referred to simply as the specific heat) of a substance is the amount of heat required to change a unit mass of the substance by one degree in temperature.

There is an essential distinction between the heat capacity of an object and the specific heat of the material of an object. The heat capacity of an object is the heat required to raise the temperature of the entire object by one degree in temperature, but the specific heat is the energy required to raise the temperature of only one unit of mass (such as one gram) by one degree. (Obviously, some objects are made from more than one type of material and hence one would have to be discussing the specific heat of the several materials, but the whole object has its own heat capacity.)

Answer 3

Heat capacity or thermal capacity is the amount of heat in joule needed to raise the temperature of a body through one kelvin.

BUt specific heat capacity is the amount of heat in joule needed to rise the temperature of ONE KG of the substance through one kelvin.

So unit for the former is J/K and for the latter is J/kg/K

Answer 4

Specific heat capacity of a material is the amount of heat in joules required to raise the temperature of one kg of that material through one kelvin.

Suppose I would like to know about specific heat capacity of copper material. Now I have 1 g of copper. I raise its temperature right from 20 to 25 degree celcius. That is through 5 kelvin. For that, say , I need H joule of heat energy

So for 1000 g I have multiply that heat by 1000 and for one kelvin rise I have to divide by 5. So 1000 H / 5 would give the specific heat capacity of copper

Answer 5

Heat capacity is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of something by one degree. The heat needed is usually represented by calories.

Answer 6

Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of a substance by one degree Celsius.