Specific Heat Capacity Converter

About This Tool

This Specific Heat Capacity Converter is a fundamental tool for thermodynamics, chemistry, and engineering. It converts units of specific heat capacity (c), which is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree. The base unit is joule per kilogram-Kelvin (J/(kg·K)).

A substance with a high specific heat capacity, like water, can absorb a lot of heat without a large change in temperature, making it an excellent coolant. Conversely, materials with low specific heat capacity heat up quickly. This tool is essential for thermal analysis, material selection, and any calculation involving heat transfer.

Tips & Features

• Understanding Specific Heat: The unit 'joule per kilogram-Kelvin' tells you how many joules of energy are needed to raise one kilogram of a substance by one Kelvin (or one degree Celsius).
• Mass is Key: Specific heat capacity is an 'intensive' property, meaning it's based on the substance itself, not the amount. It is distinct from 'heat capacity', which is an 'extensive' property that applies to a specific object and depends on its mass.
• Common Values: The specific heat of water is approximately 4184 J/(kg·K) or 1 Btu/(lb·°F), which are common benchmark values in thermodynamics.