Heat Capacity Calculator

Using Omni's heat capacity calculator, you can determine the capability of a body to absorb heat. Not sure what heat capacity is, or how is it different from specific heat? Worry not! We have got you covered. Read on to know the definition, units, and formula for heat capacity (also known as thermal capacity). We have also included a section on heat capacity vs. specific heat.

Heat capacity (or thermal capacity) of a body is the amount of heat required to raise the body's temperature through a unit degree. This quantity tells us how much heat we should supply to heat a cup of water or a bucket of water, since both hold different volume and hence have a different mass of water.

From the heat transfer equation, we know that the amount of heat ($∆Q$) required to raise the temperature of a body of mass $m$ by $∆T$ is:

where $c$ is the specific heat of the body: if you don't remember its definition, visit our specific heat calculator.

Rearranging the heat transfer equation, we can get the formula for heat capacity $S$:

Here, we note that the heat capacity depends on the body's mass and its specific heat capacity.

The SI unit of heat capacity is $\mathrm{J/K}$. Another commonly used unit of heat capacity is $\mathrm{cal/\degree C}$. Notice that this equivalence is possible only because we are dealing with temperature differences. Refer to our temperature conversion tool to learn how to convert between absolute temperatures.

Let us see how to calculate the heat capacity of any object using Omni's heat capacity calculator. We will calculate the heat capacity of a cup of water ($236\ \mathrm{g}$). The specific heat of water is $4.184\ \mathrm{J/(g\cdot\degree C)}$.

1. Enter the water's mass, i.e., $236\ \mathrm{g}$.

2. Using the drop-down menu, choose the substance, and the specific heat capacity field will display the corresponding value. If you already know the specific heat capacity for water, input its value, i.e., $4.184\ \mathrm{J/(g\cdot\degree C)}$.

3. As a result, you can see the calculated heat capacity, i.e., $987.4\ \mathrm{J/\degree C}$. It means that we need to supply $987.4\ \mathrm{J}$ of energy to raise water temperature in the cup by $1\ \degree \mathrm{C}$.

4. Additionally, you can choose different units for heat capacity, specific heat, and mass using the drop-down menu.

5. How about estimating the heat capacity of a bucket of water and comparing it with that of a cup of water?

If you want to calculate the heat energy absorbed or released during a phase transition, we recommend checking our latent heat calculator.

Often, we get confused between heat capacity and specific heat capacity. But these are two different physical quantities. Heat capacity is the property of an object. In contrast, specific heat capacity is a property of the material the object is made of.

For example, the specific heat capacity of a cup of water is the same as that of a bucket of water. It only depends on the properties of water. However, the heat capacity of a bucket of water will be much higher than that of a cup since the bucket has more water than a cup.

In the given table, we outline the main difference between the two:

In physics, we have names for both types of properties: extensive and intensive properties. The formers depend on the amount of mass of the object: we are talking of properties like the one you can meet at our combined gas law calculator. Intensive properties don't depend on the mass: you have the best example of them at our density calculator.