c and C

[Aminta Chem]

Can someone please explain to me the meanings of heat capacity and specific heat capacity? how do we know which one to use?

[grace zang 3L]

heat capacity is the energy required to raise some substance by 1ºC, while specific heat capacity is the energy required to raise 1g of a substance by 1ºC. I think for the most part we use specific heat capacity in the q = mc∆T equation.

[Cartor_Crisp_2A]

Specific heat capacity is the amount of energy (usually in J or kJ) required to raise the temperature of 1g of a substance by 1 degree Celsius. It typically is interchangeable with the molar heat capacity (amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 mol of a substance by 1 degree substance), differing by a factor of the molar mass of the substance at hand.

[Kenneth Dang 3I]

C is used for a calorimeter. It is the heat capacity of the calorimeter, hence why we don't need to find the mass in the equation as it is just Q = CdeltaT. For a substance you would use c and times it by the mass of the substance.