EnergyMemory Aid

Memory Aid: The SHC Equation

Part of Specific Heat CapacityGCSE Physics

This memory aid covers Memory Aid: The SHC Equation within Specific Heat Capacity for GCSE Physics. Revise Specific Heat Capacity in Energy for GCSE Physics with 15 exam-style questions and 13 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 11 of 15 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.

Topic position

Section 11 of 15

Practice

15 questions

Recall

13 flashcards

🧠 Memory Aid: The SHC Equation

Remember ΔE = mcΔθ as: "Energy Makes Change" — Energy = mass × c × change in temperature.

To remember water's SHC of 4200: "Four Two Zero Zero — Water is a slow burner, needs 4200 joules per kilogram per degree."

For the practical: the result is ALWAYS too HIGH because energy LEAKS to surroundings — think of a "leaky thermometer" losing heat.

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Specific Heat Capacity. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Practice Questions for Specific Heat Capacity

What does the specific heat capacity of a substance measure?

  • A. The energy needed to change 1 kg of a substance from solid to liquid
  • B. The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 °C
  • C. The maximum temperature a substance can reach before it boils
  • D. The rate at which a substance loses heat to its surroundings
1 markfoundation

Water has a specific heat capacity of 4200 J/kg°C, much higher than most other common substances. Explain why this makes water useful in central heating systems.

3 marksstandard

Quick Recall Flashcards

Define:
The specific heat capacity (c) of a material is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of the substance by 1 degree Celsius.
Central heating
water carries lots of thermal energy around your house

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