Specific Heat Definition

Specific heat is the energy in joules required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of sample 1 kelvin.
Specific heat is the energy in joules required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of sample 1 kelvin.

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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on June 04, 2019

Specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a body per unit of mass. Specific heat is also known as specific heat capacity or mass specific heat.
In SI units, specific heat (symbol: c) is the amount of heat in joules required to raise 1 gram of a substance 1 Kelvin. Usually, specific heat is reported in joules (J).

Examples: Water has a specific heat of 4.18 J. Copper has a specific heat of 0.39 J.

Source

  • Halliday, David; Resnick, Robert (2013). Fundamentals of Physics. Wiley. p. 524.
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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Specific Heat Definition." ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/definition-of-specific-heat-605673. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, February 16). Specific Heat Definition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-specific-heat-605673 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Specific Heat Definition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-specific-heat-605673 (accessed June 1, 2023).
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