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Specific Heat Capacity Comparison

Part of Specific Heat Capacity · GCSE GCSE Physics revision

This diagram covers Specific Heat Capacity Comparison 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 topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 4 of 15 in this topic. Focus on the labels, the relationships between parts, and the explanation that turns the diagram into an exam-ready answer.

Topic position

Section 4 of 15

Practice

15 questions

Recall

13 flashcards

📊 Specific Heat Capacity Comparison

Graph comparing specific heat capacity of different materials showing water with the highest value at 4200 J/kg°C and metals with much lower values

Figure 1: Specific heat capacity comparison. Water's value is approximately 11 times that of copper.

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.

Key SHC Values — LEARN THESE!Deep Dive: Why Different Materials Have Different SHCThe Hot Water Bottle MysteryWhat IS Specific Heat Capacity?

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

Central heating
water carries lots of thermal energy around your house
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.

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Key SHC Values — LEARN THESE!

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Deep Dive: Why Different Materials Have Different SHC