Cracking the SAT Chemistry Subject Test

For example, it takes 1 calorie of heat to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water
by 1°C. So we say that the specific heat of water is 1 cal/g ∙ °C. The specific heat
of carbon is 0.033 cal/g ∙ °C, so it takes 0.033 calorie to raise the temperature of
1 gram of carbon by 1°C.

Now suppose you take 40 grams of water and 40 grams of carbon and add 200
calories of heat to each sample. Because water has a significantly higher specific
heat than carbon, the input of the same amount of heat to both samples will
result in a greater increase in temperature in the carbon sample than in the
sample of water. See the calculations below.

ΔT =

ΔTcarbon    =       =   151.5°C

ΔTwater =       =   5°C

Same    Equation,

Different   Form