Specific Heat

Front

What is specific heat?

Back

Specific heat is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius.

Front

What is the formula for calculating thermal energy change?

Back

Q = mc∆t, where Q is the thermal energy change, m is the mass, c is the specific heat capacity, and ∆t is the change in temperature.

Front

What unit is used to measure thermal energy?

Back

Joules (J) are used to measure thermal energy.

Front

How does thermal energy relate to temperature?

Back

Thermal energy is the total energy of all the particles in a substance, while temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of those particles.

Front

What happens to thermal energy when a substance is heated?

Back

When a substance is heated, its thermal energy increases, causing the particles to move faster and the temperature to rise.

Front

What is the relationship between mass and thermal energy?

Back

For a given temperature change, a substance with a larger mass will have more thermal energy than a substance with a smaller mass.

Front

How does heat flow between objects?

Back

Heat flows from warmer objects to cooler objects until thermal equilibrium is reached.

Front

What is thermal equilibrium?

Back

Thermal equilibrium is the state in which two objects in contact no longer transfer heat to each other because they are at the same temperature.

Front

What is the specific heat capacity of water?

Back

The specific heat capacity of water is approximately 4.18 J/g°C.

Front

What is the effect of specific heat on temperature change?

Back

Substances with a high specific heat capacity require more energy to change their temperature compared to substances with a low specific heat capacity.