Calcoid

Specific Heat Calculator

Solve Q = m c deltaT for heat energy, mass, specific heat, or temperature change. Presets for water, metals, glass, wood, air. Outputs J, kJ, cal, kcal, BTU.

Specific Heat Calculator (Q = m c ΔT)

Solve for

Given mass, specific heat, and temperature change, find Q.

Pick a preset to auto-fill c, or pick Custom to enter your own value.

Mass of the substance. Must be greater than zero.

J/(kg·K)

Auto-filled from the substance preset. Pick Custom to edit.

Final minus initial temperature. K and °C have the same magnitude.

Heat energy (Q) in J

209,300

approximately 50.0 kilocalories (food calories)

Mass (m)

1 kg

Specific heat (c)

4,186 J/(kg·K)

Temperature change (ΔT)

50 °C

Heat energy in J

209,300 J

Heat energy in kJ

209.3 kJ

Heat energy in cal

50,023.900574 cal

Heat energy in kcal

50.023901 kcal

Heat energy in BTU

198.378098 BTU

Using preset: Water

Specific Heat Reference

MaterialSpecific HeatUnit
Water4.186J/(g·°C)
Aluminum0.897J/(g·°C)
Iron0.449J/(g·°C)
Copper0.385J/(g·°C)
Lead0.130J/(g·°C)
Air1.005J/(g·°C)

Frequently Asked Questions about the Specific Heat Calculator

What is the specific heat formula?
Q = m x c x deltaT. Q is heat energy in joules, m is mass in kilograms, c is specific heat capacity in J/(kg K), and deltaT is the temperature change. Positive Q means heat is added, negative Q means heat is removed.
Why do K and degC give the same temperature change?
Kelvin and Celsius use the same degree size; only the zero point differs. A jump of 1 K equals a jump of 1 degC, so deltaT has the same numerical value in both units.
What is the specific heat of water and why is it so high?
Water has c = 4186 J/(kg K), one of the highest values for any common substance. Hydrogen bonds between water molecules absorb a lot of energy before the temperature rises. It takes about 209,300 J to heat 1 kg of water from 0 degC to 50 degC.
How do I convert joules to calories, kilocalories, or BTU?
1 calorie = 4.184 J, 1 kilocalorie (food calorie) = 4184 J, and 1 BTU = 1055.06 J. The calculator shows Q in joules, kilojoules, calories, kilocalories, and BTU simultaneously.
Why doesn't this formula work for phase changes like melting or boiling?
Q = m c deltaT only applies while a substance stays in one phase. During melting or boiling the temperature stays steady while latent heat is absorbed or released, so deltaT is zero. Use Q = m x L instead.

Changelog

Updates to Specific Heat Calculator, grouped by date.

1 update

  1. Specific Heat Calculator added

    • Solve Q = m c deltaT for heat energy, mass, specific heat, or temperature change. Presets for water, metals, glass, wood, air. Outputs J, kJ, cal, kcal, BTU.

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