b. What are the units of specific heat?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that specific heat is a property of a substance that indicates how much heat energy is required to raise the temperature of a given mass of the substance by one degree Celsius (or one Kelvin).
2. Recall the formula for specific heat: \( q = mc\Delta T \), where \( q \) is the heat absorbed or released, \( m \) is the mass, \( c \) is the specific heat, and \( \Delta T \) is the change in temperature.
3. Identify the units for each component in the formula: \( q \) is typically measured in joules (J), \( m \) in grams (g), and \( \Delta T \) in degrees Celsius (°C) or Kelvin (K).
4. Rearrange the formula to solve for specific heat \( c \): \( c = \frac{q}{m\Delta T} \).
5. Determine the units of specific heat by substituting the units of each variable into the rearranged formula: \( c \) has units of \( \frac{J}{g \cdot °C} \) or \( \frac{J}{g \cdot K} \).

Key Concepts

Specific Heat Capacity

Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius (°C) or one Kelvin (K). It is a material property that indicates how much energy is needed to change the temperature of a substance, which varies between different materials.

Units of Measurement

The units of specific heat are typically expressed in joules per gram per degree Celsius (J/g·°C) or joules per kilogram per Kelvin (J/kg·K). These units reflect the energy (in joules) needed to change the temperature of a specific mass of a substance, highlighting the relationship between heat energy, mass, and temperature change.

Heat Transfer

Heat transfer is the process of thermal energy moving from one object or substance to another due to a temperature difference. Understanding specific heat is crucial in heat transfer calculations, as it helps predict how much energy will be absorbed or released by a substance when it undergoes a temperature change.