Calculate the thermal energy transferred using the Q = mcΔT formula.
Total Heat Energy (Q)
What is Specific Heat Capacity?
Specific heat capacity is a physical property of matter that defines the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius (°C). Every substance has a unique specific heat capacity based on its molecular structure.
Q = m × c × ΔT
Where:
Q: Heat energy (measured in Joules, J)
m: Mass of the substance (measured in grams, g)
c: Specific heat capacity (J/g°C)
ΔT: Change in temperature (Final Temp – Initial Temp)
Common Specific Heat Values
Substance
Specific Heat (J/g°C)
Water (Liquid)
4.184
Aluminum
0.897
Iron
0.449
Copper
0.385
Gold
0.129
Example Calculation
Suppose you have 100 grams of water and you want to heat it from 25°C to 50°C. How much energy is required?
Identify Mass (m) = 100g
Identify Specific Heat of Water (c) = 4.184 J/g°C
Calculate ΔT = 50°C – 25°C = 25°C
Apply Formula: Q = 100 × 4.184 × 25
Result: Q = 10,460 Joules
function calculateHeatEnergy() {
var mass = parseFloat(document.getElementById('shc_mass').value);
var specHeat = parseFloat(document.getElementById('shc_capacity').value);
var t1 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('shc_t1').value);
var t2 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('shc_t2').value);
var resultBox = document.getElementById('shc_result_box');
var resultVal = document.getElementById('shc_result_val');
var deltaVal = document.getElementById('shc_delta_val');
if (isNaN(mass) || isNaN(specHeat) || isNaN(t1) || isNaN(t2)) {
alert("Please enter valid numerical values for all fields.");
return;
}
var deltaT = t2 – t1;
var q = mass * specHeat * deltaT;
resultVal.innerHTML = q.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}) + " Joules";
deltaVal.innerHTML = "Temperature Change (ΔT): " + deltaT.toFixed(2) + "°C";
resultBox.style.display = "block";
// Scroll to result
resultBox.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}