What is specific heat capacity?
Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 kelvin. Water's high value (4186 J/kg·K) is why oceans buffer our climate.
- • Q — heat energy absorbed or released (joules)
- • m — mass of the substance (kilograms)
- • c — specific heat capacity (J/kg·K)
- • ΔT — temperature change T₂ − T₁ (kelvin or °C, same scale)
Material comparison
A negative ΔT means the substance cools and releases heat. The same 2 kg of water needs 670 kJ to rise 80°C, while 2 kg of copper needs only 62 kJ — copper heats up more than ten times faster.
Water · 4186
The standard reference. Excellent coolant and thermal storage because it absorbs huge energy per degree.
Metals · 150–900
Low heat capacity makes pots, radiators and heatsinks respond quickly to temperature changes.
Cooling systems
Q helps size radiators, HVAC coils, and the coolant flow needed to remove waste heat from engines.
Related thermal tools
Combine specific heat with our kinetic energy and combined gas law calculators for complete energy analysis.
Open Gas Law Calculator