EDSC 304 Specific Heat Capacity Ellen Chang CSUF Fall 2019

1. Unit: Properties of Gas
Chemistry CP (9-12 grade)
Ms. Ellen Chang
Specific Heat Capacity

2. Lecture Objectives & CA Content Standards
• SWBAT predict the amount of energy required to heat a substance
based on its specific heat capacity.
• SWBAT describe the relationship between the material’s specific heat
capacity and its component.
• HS-PS1-4 Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption
of energy from a chemical reaction system depends on the changes in
total bond energy.
• HS-PS1-5 Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an
explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or
concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction
occurs.

3. Why does this
happen?
On a scorching summer day, you decide to
swim in the pool. As you are walking
towards the pool in barefoot, you realize
how hot the cement is! But the water
inside the pool is still nice and cool. Why
do they possess different temperature
even though they have been under the
same temperature?

4. What is specific heat capacity?

5. Specific Heat Capacity
… It’s due to their specific heat
capacity!
Every substance has its own specific
heat capacity- intensive property
Units:
J
(g•°C)
or
cal
(g•°C)

6. Let’s practice
“the higher the specific heat,
the more energy needed to heat up a
substance.”
You boiled a teapot made of steel filled
with water for two minutes. You noticed
that the teapot is too hot to touch while
the water inside was still lukewarm.
What can you conclude about the
specific heat of both substance? Support
your reasoning.

7. Let’s Practice as a Group
Talk with your table group to find two other real-life phenomenon
involving the specific heat capacity. Use its concept to explain why the
phenomenon makes sense/behaves that way.
Put your responses in the guided note.

8. Specific Heat Formula
Q = mc∆T
Q = energy gained/lost (cal or J)
m = mass of a substance (g)
c = specific heat of a substance (J/g⁰C or cal/g⁰C)
∆T = Tf – Ti (⁰C)

9. Steps to solve the question
• Step 1: Rearrange the equation to find the unknown.
• Step 2: List the knowns and the unknown.
• Step 3: Calculate the unknown.
• Step 4: Evaluate – Does your answer make sense???

10. Let’s practice together
The temperature of a 95.4 g piece of copper increases from 25⁰C to
48⁰C when the copper is heated up to absorb 849 J of heat.
What is the specific heat of copper?
Step 1: Rearrange the equation to find the unknown.
Step 2: List the knowns and the unknown.
Step 3: Calculate the unknown.
Step 4: Evaluate – Does your answer make sense???

11. Step 1: Rearrange the equation to find the
unknown.
Q = mc ∆T Divide both side by m∙∆T
Q
m∆T
= c Rearrange the equation.

12. Step 2: List the knowns and the unknown.
Energy = +849 J
Mass = 95.4 g
∆T = (Final Temp – Initial Temp) = 48⁰C – 25⁰C = 23⁰C
Specific heat = ???

13. Step 3: Calculate the unknown.
c =
Q
m∆T
Write the re-arranged equation.
c =
849 J
95.4 g (23⁰C)
Plug in the known values with units.
c =
849 J
2194.2 g⁰C
Solve.
c = 0.39 J/g⁰C Simplify.

14. Step 4: Evaluate – Does your answer make
sense???
c = 0.39 J/g⁰C
Does this answer make sense?
Use the specific heat chart to support
your answer.

15. Exit Ticket – do it on your own!
Please show your work with using correct units on
the index card. Submit it in a box before you leave
the class today!
Q: When 435 J of heat is added to 3.5 g of olive oil at
21⁰C, the temperature increases to 85⁰C. What is the
specific heat of the olive oil?