Quantity of heat

Heat capacity and specific heat capacity

• Heat capacity C: heat needed to raise the temperature of a body by 1 K. Q = CΔθ.
• Specific heat capacity c: heat needed to raise 1 kg by 1 K.

Q = mcΔθ. For water, c = 4200 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹.

Example: Heat to warm 2 kg of water from 20°C to 70°C: 2 × 4200 × 50 = 420,000 J.

Latent heat

Heat absorbed or released during a change of state without temperature change.