Specific Heat Calculator
Find the heat energy needed with Q = m·c·ΔT.
Energy to heat anything
The equation Q = m·c·ΔT is the workhorse of thermal physics: it tells you how much energy it takes to change a mass by a given temperature. It underlies everything from kettles to climate models.
Heating 2 kg of water by 30 K takes about 251,000 joules, because water’s specific heat is high. Swap in any material’s specific heat to see how much easier or harder it is to warm.
Fundamental and private
It applies the heat equation in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it calculate?
The heat energy Q needed to change a mass by a temperature difference, from mass, specific heat capacity, and the change in temperature.
What is specific heat?
The energy needed to raise one kilogram of a substance by one kelvin. Water is about 4186 joules per kilogram-kelvin.
What units are used?
Mass in kilograms, specific heat in joules per kilogram-kelvin, and temperature change in kelvin or degrees Celsius, giving energy in joules.
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