P1.2.

3 Specific Heat Capacity

C/W: 03/03/2024
Key Words: Learning Objectives:
Specific Heat 6: Define the term specific heat
Capacity, capacity.
Internal Energy 7: Apply the equation for specific
heat capacity.

Instruction Symbols:
Copy into Mark in
Discuss your book Green

Calculate
Answer in Do activity or
in your
your book experiment
book
A hot liquid is left out to cool, the temperature is
recorded every minute and a graph is plotted.
State the
temperature at
which the substance
freezes.

Explain why the

temperature does
not change.
State the Temperature is
temperature at constant during a
which the substance state change.
freezes.
120°C
Explain why the
temperature does
not change.
Energy is being
used to form
intermolecular
bonds (rather than
being given out to
surroundings).
 Specific Heat Capacity
In Mr Cunningham’s holiday villa, after a long sunny
day the paving slabs by the side of the pool are too hot
to walk on in bare feet, but the pool is still nice and
cool. Both have been exposed to the same amount of
sunlight. Discuss: Why is this the case?
 Specific Heat Capacity
Discuss: We want to raise the temperature of a
material. What factors will affect the amount of
heat required?
 Specific Heat Capacity
Discuss: We want to raise the temperature of a
material. What factors will affect the amount of
heat required?
The type of material
The mass of material
The temperature rise required
 The specific heat capacity of a material is the
amount of heat required to raise the temperature
of 1kg of a material by 1°C.

Water has a high specific heat Metals have a low specific

capacity. It takes lots of energy to
heat up.
A bowl of hot water will stay hot
for a long time as it holds a lot of
energy.
heat capacity. They do not
take lots of energy to heat up.
A baking tray left out the oven
cools quickly as doesn’t have
much energy to lose.

This equation is given to you
on the formula sheet. But
you do need to know when
to use it, and how to apply
and rearrange it!!
Write units for each
of the terms that you
know.
Change the subject of
the equation to make
three other
equations.
Write units for each of the terms that you know.
Energy – J;
Mass – kg;
Specific Heat Capacity – J/kg/°C;
Temperature - °C
1. Water has a specific heat capacity of 4,200J/kg/°C.
2kg of water is to be heated by 20°C. Calculate the
energy required.
2. 3.78kJ of energy is used to heat 10kg of a
material, increasing it’s temperature by 3°C.
Calculate the specific heat capacity of the
material.
3. A block of concrete is heated from 40°C to 50°C
using 44kJ of energy. Concrete has a specific heat
capacity of 880J/kg/°C. Calculate the mass of
concrete heated.
Experiment Aim: Calculate the specific heat
capacity of a 1kg block of aluminium.

SAFETY ADVICE: THE BLOCK WILL GET

HOT
Do not touch the block, even after
heating.
Keep on a heat proof mat.
Switch the heater off after use or if
overheating.
Thermometer is glass, handle with
care.
5. Suggest what would the effect on the temperature increase
would have been if the heater had been switched on for ten
minutes instead of five minutes? (1 mark)
The specific heat capacity will remain constant so if the
heater is on for twice as long, the energy transferred will be
twice as much so temperature change will be twice as
much.
 P1.2.3 Specific Heat Capacity
C/W: 03/03/2024
Key Words: Learning Objectives:
Specific Heat 6: Define the term specific heat
Capacity, capacity.
Internal Energy 7: Apply the equation for specific
heat capacity.

Instruction Symbols:
Copy into Mark in
Discuss your book Green

Calculate
Answer in Do activity or
in your
your book experiment
book
 Specific Heat Capacity
1. Explain whether it is better to make your cooking
pans from a metal with a high or low specific heat
capacity.
2. Calculate how much energy is required to raise
the temperature of 25 g of lead by 150 °C.
Give your answer to 2 significant figures.
3. Calculate how much energy was required to heat
the bath water. The bath contains 80 kg of water.
The temperature of the water entering the heater
is 18 °C and the bath water is 40 °C. Give your
answer in kJ.
 Specific Heat Capacity
4. Calculate the energy saved having a shower rather
than the bath in question 3. A 5-minute shower
uses 35 kg of water. Assume the temperature of
water needs to be heated from 18 °C to 40 °C as in
the bath.
5. Calculate the specific heat capacity a substance of
mass 2 kg which has a temperature rise of 40 °C
when given 77 kJ of energy. Decide what it is made
of using the table of specific heat capacities.
6. Explain why a teapot made of china might need to
be warmed before you make tea in it when a metal
teapot does not.
 Specific Heat Capacity
1. Explain whether it is better to make your cooking
pans from a metal with a high or low specific heat
capacity.
Saucepans should be made from a low specific
heat capacity material because they will take
less energy to heat to the same temperature.
Specific Heat Capacity
Specific Heat Capacity
Specific Heat Capacity
Specific Heat Capacity
 Specific Heat Capacity
6. Explain why a teapot made of china might need to
be warmed before you make tea in it when a metal
teapot does not.
China has a much higher specific heat capacity
then metal.
If not warmed before using it will take a lot of
energy from the tea to raise its temperature, this
will cool the tea.