Specific heat capacity

What is specific heat capacity?

Specific heat capacity (c) is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 °C (or 1 K). The defining equation is ΔE = mcΔθ where m is mass in kg, c is in J/(kg·°C) and Δθ is temperature change. Water has c = 4181 J/(kg·°C); aluminium is around 900; lead is around 130. The substance with the higher c needs more energy for the same temperature rise.