Question

What does a specific heat tell about a substance?

Answer 1

We know that when a substance absorbs heat energy, its temperature rises. When the same amount of heat is applied to equal masses of different substances, the temperature rise is observed to be unique for each substance. Because small molecules have varying heat capabilities, this is the case. As a result, a substance's heat capacity is the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of the entire substance by one degree. The heat capacity of a substance is called specific heat capacity or specific heat when the mass of the substance is unity.

Complete step by step answer:
According to the definition of specific heat of a substance, the larger the heat energy required for a unit temperature rise of a unit mass of the substance, the higher the specific heat of the substance is. A substance with a higher specific heat can contain more heat energy than a substance with a lower specific heat of the same mass. Water has higher specific heat than most other substances. Hence, hot or cold water is frequently utilized when a large amount of heat needs to be provided to or absorbed from a body. When we need a heat-sensitive substance, i.e., one whose temperature rises significantly in response to a small amount of heat, a substance with a higher specific heat is not beneficial.
The specific heat of a substance is an intrinsic attribute defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of the substance by one degree.
The SI unit for specific heat is $\dfrac{J}{{\left( {kg\left. K \right)} \right.}}$
It's also good for maintaining thermal efficiency. An object has a maximum heat capacity of $1kJk{g^{ - 1}}{K^{ - 1}}$, for example. Then, for every $1K$ of temperature rise, it will retain $1kJ$ of thermal energy, or it will hold for every step of temperature at a fixed mass.

Note: Specific heat's applications in everyday life:
Small substances are ideal for use as a material in cooking instruments such as frying pans, pots, kettles, and so on since they heat quickly when a small quantity of heat is applied.
Specific heat is required while making kettle handlers, insulators, and oven lids. since a large amount of heat will only create a minor temperature change
Water is used to battle fires.
It absorbs a lot of heat thanks to its high specific heat, but heat doesn't rise much. The heat is transported away from the equator by the oceans, which also serves to temper the climate there.