How is mass related to the amount of heat in an object?

Answer 1

Strictly speaking objects do not contain "heat". Heat is energy in transit - think of it as an analog to water compared to rain. Rain is water in transit from the clouds to the ground. Once it lands and starts to form puddles, rivers, streams, etc, we no longer call it rain. Likewise, when energy is being held in an object we do not call it heat. It only becomes HEAT when in transit from that object to another object.

What the question is probably trying to ask is about the relationship between the mass of an object and the enthalpy (or alternatively internal energy). As energy (such as heat) is added to an object, it gets warmer and the enthalpy increases. If it comes in contact with something cooler, it can transfer some of that energy in the form of heat, but the temperature can also be changed by doing work on the object or subjecting to friction. One property of any object is its "heat capacity" which is measured in terms of the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of the object by a certain amount. Usually this is identified in terms of the "specific heat" - the energy per unit mass per degree of temperature. As an example, the specific heat of liquid water is about 1 BTU per lbm per °F or 1 calorie per gram per °C at room temperature.

The enthalpy of an object is thus related to the mass of the object via the specific heat.

Note that enthalpy must always be measured relative to a reference point. It is what is known as a "state function". Typically the enthalpy is tabulated relative to a reference state of "standard temperature and pressure".

Answer 2

Heat is transferred based on the temperature of a mass (relative to the cooler mass it is transferring heat to) and the heat capacity of the mass. The total heat capacity is a product of the mass and the specific heat, i.e. Heat capacity = mass x specific heat. The hotter the mass, the more heat it can transfer. The greater the mass, the more heat it can transfer per degree of temperature drop. 100 kg of boiling water could be expected to be able to transfer 100 times the amount of heat of just 1 kg of boiling water for a drop of 1 °C.

Answer 3

If by "transfer" you mean the heat just passes through the material, without being absorbed by it: there is no direct relation. This amount of heat will depend on the material's cross-section, as well as on its length - but a greater cross-section will allow MORE heat to pass through, while a greater length will allow LESS heat to pass through.

Answer 4

There isn't one.