| the heat required to raise the temperature of a substance one degree. |
| heat capacity n. The ratio of the heat energy absorbed by a substance to the substance's increase in temperature. |
In physics, the capability of a substance to absorb energy in the form of heat for a given increase in temperature. Materials with high heat capacities, such as water, require greater amounts of heat to increase their temperatures than do substances with low heat capacities, such as metals. (See entropy.)
heat capacity n.
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one mole or one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius without change of phase. Also called thermal capacity.
| heat capacity
The ratio of the heat energy absorbed by a substance to its increase in temperature. Heat capacity is also called thermal capacity. ◇ The specific heat or specific heat capacity of a substance is the heat capacity per unit mass, usually measured in joules per kilogram per degree Kelvin. See also latent heat, thermodynamics. |
