Lesson 1.2 - Specific Heat Capacity

Which would take longer to heat to boiling: one cup of water or two cups of water?  Would it take twice as long? 

Read the Find Out Activity on page 108, but do not perform the activity.

Predict the answers to questions 1 and 2 of  What Did You Find Out?

Check your answers with those that follow.

 

 

There is a constant that is related to a substance and how it absorbs heat.  This constant is called specific heat capacity. 

Read Specific Heat Capacity on pages 108 and 109.

Question 3. What is the definition of specific heat capacity? 

Question 4. What are the units of specific heat capacity?  What do these units mean in words? 

Question 5. What is the specific heat capacity of water?

Question 6. What is the specific heat capacity of sand?

Question 7. Why does the sand get much hotter than the water on a hot summer day?

 

Check your answers with those that follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers to What Did You Find Out? questions:

Question 1. You should have predicted that it would take twice as long to heat to 30°C. 

Question 2. You should have predicted that, if the starting and ending temperatures are the same, your results should be the same. 

 

Click to return to where you left off in this lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers to What Did You Find Out? questions:

Question 3. What is the definition of specific heat capacity?

Specific heat capacity is defined as a measure of the ability of a substance to absorb or lose heat.

Question 4. What are the units of specific heat capacity?  What do these units mean in words?

The units of specific heat capacity are J/g" °C.  In words, this means joules per gram degree Celsius.

Question 5. What is the specific heat capacity of water?

The specific heat capacity of water is 4.19 J/g" °C.

Question 6. What is the specific heat capacity of sand?

The specific heat capacity of sand is 0.66 J/g" °C. 

Question 7. Why does the sand get much hotter than the water on a hot summer day?

The specific heat capacity of sand is much less than the specific heat capacity of water.  This means that sand will experience a much greater temperature change if the heating rate is the same.

 


Go to the next page to continue Lesson 1.