What is the difference between specific heat and heat capacity? What are the units for these two quantities? Which is the intensive property and which is the extensive property?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Specific Heat is the heat capacity per unit mass and it's an intensive property measured in Joule per kilogram per Kelvin (J/kg.K). Heat Capacity is the heat to be supplied to induce a unit temperature change and it is an extensive property measured in Joule per Kelvin (J/K).

Step by step solution

01

Comparison

Specific Heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by one degree Celsius. On the other hand, Heat Capacity is the measure of the amount of heat to be supplied to a given substance to produce a unit change in its temperature. In other words, Specific Heat is the heat capacity per unit mass.
02

Measurement Units

The standard unit of Specific Heat in the International System of Units (SI) is Joule per kilogram per Kelvin (J/kg.K). Heat Capacity, on the other hand, is measured in Joule per Kelvin (J/K).
03

Classification into Intensive and Extensive Properties

An intensive property does not depend on the amount of substance, while an extensive property does. Therefore, Specific Heat is an Intensive property as it does not depend on the mass of the substance. In contrast, Heat Capacity is an Extensive property since it depends on the amount of substance.

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