heat capacity/specific heat capacity

[km1865]

In an experimental passage from TBR, theres a question asking what must be precisely known to determine the heat capacity for any of the metals (which are given in the experiment).... so, even though i got the correct answer which was the total energy absorbed by the metal, in the explanations they actually say heat capacity depends on energy absorbed, mass of substance and change in temperature.. isn't this wrong since the above describes SPECIFIC heat capacity (which is heat capacity per unit mass) rather than heat capacity which is dQ/dT ?

I knows its a little nitty gritty but can someone clarify? Thanks in advance

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[whiteshadodw]

In an experimental passage from TBR, theres a question asking what must be precisely known to determine the heat capacity for any of the metals (which are given in the experiment).... so, even though i got the correct answer which was the total energy absorbed by the metal, in the explanations they actually say heat capacity depends on energy absorbed, mass of substance and change in temperature.. isn't this wrong since the above describes SPECIFIC heat capacity (which is heat capacity per unit mass) rather than heat capacity which is dQ/dT ?

I knows its a little nitty gritty but can someone clarify? Thanks in advance

i'm gonna have to agree with you. i think the explanation was just too detailed. they meant to say specific heat capacity is mass, energy, and temp dependent. sometimes they just like to add information to give additional insight.

 

[fiedel]

The specific heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by one degree Celsius. The relationship between heat and temperature change is usually expressed in the form shown below where c is the specific heat. The relationship does not apply if a phase change is encountered, because the heat added or removed during a phase change does not change the temperature.



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[plzNOCarribbean]

The wording always sounds the same and its easy to get these terms confused but, I always equate heat capacity to:

Q= m c dT, which is the amount of heat required to raise a system of mass m by dT degrees

and the specific heat capacity, C to

C = Q/ m dt which is the amount of heat required to raise 1 gram of that specific substance by 1 degree Celsius. The specific heat is an intrinsic property of that particular materials resistance to changes in its T, and so the greater the value for the specific heat capacity of a substance, the less inclined that substance is to undergo a temperature change.