Specific heat capacity

The specific heat capacity of a substance is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of that substance by 1 °C.

Specific heat capacity describes the first outcome; specific latent heat describes the second.

A high specific heat capacity means that a large amount of energy is needed for each kilogram to rise by one degree. A low specific heat capacity means that the same energy produces a larger temperature rise. This is a property of the material, not simply a statement about how hot an object is.

Water, for example, has a specific heat capacity of about 4,200 J/kg °C: raising the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 °C requires about 4,200 J of energy. A material with a higher specific heat capacity needs more energy than one with a lower value for the same mass and temperature rise.