S4.9.6 For the adult
Specific heat capacity
The same energy is given to 1 kg of water and to 1 kg of aluminium. Which one gets hotter?
What this chapter teaches
Specific heat capacity is the energy needed to warm 1 kg of a material by 1 °C. The energy for a temperature change is mass times specific heat capacity times the change. Water has a high value, so the sea warms and cools slowly, and coasts have a smaller range of temperature than places far inland.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- Why must a mass in grams be changed before using ΔE = m × c × ΔT?
- Why does 1 kg of iron warm faster than 1 kg of water given the same energy?
- Why is a coast usually milder than a place far inland?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Use specific heat capacity to calculate the energy for a temperature rise
- Explain why coasts have milder weather than places far inland
What they copy into their notebook
ΔE = m × c × ΔT. Mass in kg. ΔT is the change. Water: c = 4 200 J/kg °C. High c: slow to warm and slow to cool. The sea keeps coasts mild.