This key facts covers What IS Specific Heat Capacity? 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 2 of 15 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 2 of 15
Practice
15 questions
Recall
13 flashcards
📚 What IS Specific Heat Capacity?
Definition: 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.
What it tells you:
- High SHC (like water: 4200 J/kg°C) → needs lots of energy to heat up, releases lots when cooling
- Low SHC (like copper: 385 J/kg°C) → heats up quickly, cools down quickly
Units: J/kg°C (Joules per kilogram per degree Celsius)