Working with Specific Heat Capacity and Calorimetry

Working With Specific Heat Capacity and Calorimetry 

Heat is a form of energy that flows from warmer objects to cooler objects. But how much heat can an object hold If objects have the same heat content, does that mean they re the same temperature You can measure different temperatures, but how do these temperatures relate to heat flow These kinds of questions revolve around the concept of heat capacity, the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a system by 1°C, or 1 K. 

You ll encounter heat capacity in different forms, each of which is useful in different scenarios. Any system has a heat capacity. But how can you best compare heat capacities between chemical systems You use molar heat capacity or specific heat capacity (or just specific heaf). Molar heat capacity is simply the heat capacity of 1 mol of a substance. Specific heat capacity is simply the heat capacity of 1 g of a substance. How do you know whether you re dealing with heat capacity, molar heat capacity, or specific heat capacity Look at the units. 

but what are the units of energy Well, that depends. The SI unit of energy is the joule (J), but the calorie (cal) and liter-atmosphere (L atm) are also used. Here s how the joule, the calorie, and the liter-atmosphere are related  

Note that a food calorie actually refers to a Calorie, which is a kilocalorie — a calorie of cheesecake is 1,000 times larger than you think it is. 

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