Introduction

Heat transfer is a fundamental concept in physics and chemistry. Two important concepts related to heat transfer are specific heat and heat capacity. These terms are often used interchangeably, but there is actually a significant difference between them.

Specific heat

Specific heat is defined as the amount of energy necessary to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius. In mathematical terms, it can be expressed as:

C = Q / (m * ΔT)

• C is the specific heat
• Q is the amount of heat
• m is the mass of the substance
• ΔT is the temperature change

Specific heat is an intensive property of a substance, which means that It does not depend on the amount of substance present.

Heat capacity

Heat capacity is defined as the amount of energy necessary to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius. Unlike specific heat, heat capacity depends on the amount of substance present.

The heat capacity can be expressed as:

Cp = Q / ΔT

• Cp is the heat capacity at constant pressure
• Q is the amount of heat
• ΔT is the temperature change

Another related term is Cv, which is the heat capacity at constant volume.

Differences between specific heat and heat capacity

Dependence on the amount of substance

Specific heat is an intensive property and does not depend on the amount of substance present. On the other hand, heat capacity is a extensive property and depends on the amount of substance present.

Measurement units

Specific heat is measured in J/(g·°C) while heat capacity is measured in J/°C.

Pressure and volume

Heat capacity can also be divided into heat capacity at constant pressure (Cp) and heat capacity at constant volume (Cv). The value of Cp is greater than the value of Cv.

Conclusions

While both terms are related to heat transfer, it is important to note that specific heat and heat capacity are different concepts. The main difference is that specific heat is an intensive property, while heat capacity is an extensive property that depends on the amount of substance present.

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