What is the Difference Between Heat Capacity and Specific Heat?

06/23/2025 • Felipe Moraes

The main difference between heat capacity and specific heat lies in the mass of the substance being considered. Here are the key differences:

Heat Capacity: This is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of an object by 1°C (or 1 K). It depends on both the mass and the chemical composition of the object. The units for heat capacity are joules per Kelvin (J/K).
Specific Heat: This is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C (or 1 K). It is an intensive property, meaning it is independent of the amount of substance present. The units for specific heat are joules per gram per degree Celsius (J/g°C).

In summary:

Heat capacity is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of an object by a certain amount, depending on its mass and chemical composition.
Specific heat is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by a certain amount, independent of the amount of substance present.

Comparative Table: Heat Capacity vs Specific Heat

Heat capacity and specific heat capacity are related but distinct concepts. Here is a table highlighting the differences between them:

Property	Heat Capacity	Specific Heat Capacity
Definition	Heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a given amount of matter.	Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a unit mass of a substance.
Unit Mass	Heat capacity is not gated by unit mass.	Specific heat capacity is calculated per unit mass of a substance.
Units	The SI unit of heat capacity is Joules per Kelvin (J/K).	The SI unit of specific heat capacity is Joules per Kelvin per Kilogram (J/K/kg).
Formula	The formula for heat capacity is Q = m × c × ΔT, where Q is the amount of heat, m is the mass, c is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the change in temperature.	The formula for specific heat capacity is Q = m × c × ΔT, where Q is the amount of heat, m is the mass, c is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the change in temperature.

In summary, heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a given amount of matter, while specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a unit mass of a substance. Specific heat capacity can be obtained by dividing heat capacity by the mass of the sample.