The specific heat capacity (C) of a substance is defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of the substance by one Kelvin. The SI unit for specific heat capacity is the joule per kilogram Kelvin. Specific heat capacity is therefore heat capacity per unit mass.
Calculating heat energy when there is a change in temperature without
a change in state
Heat Energy = m X c X q
where m is the mass measured in kilogram (kg); c is
the specific heat capacity measured in Jkg-1K-1 (joule per kilogram
Kelvin); q is the change in
temperature measured in Kelvin (K)
Calculating heat energy when there is a change in temperature with
a change in state
Heat Energy = m X L + m X c X q
where m is the mass measured in kilogram (kg); L
is the specific latent heat of fusion measured in Joules per kilogram
(J/kg); c is the specific heat capacity measured in Jkg-1K-1
( joule per kilogram Kelvin); q
is the change in temperature measured in Kelvin (K)
Latent heat of fusion is the heat absorbed
without a change in temperature.