Cracking the SAT Chemistry Subject Test

Notice  that    this    is  the

same    equation    we  just

gave    you.    We  just    shuffled

things  around  a   bit.

Carbon increases in temperature by 151.5°C, but water increases in temperature
by only 5°C. Why? Because the specific heat of water is roughly 30 times that of
carbon.

Similarly, if we have equal masses of water and carbon and we want to raise the
temperature of each sample by the same amount, we’ll have to put about 30
times more heat into the water than we have to put into the carbon.

We’ve been talking about temperature in °C, and when we think of specific heat,
that’s the right unit of temperature to use. But, for this test, you also need to
know about another temperature scale: degrees Kelvin (K). The Kelvin scale is
also called the “absolute temperature” scale. How do you convert °C to K?

                    K   =   °C  +   273

0   K   =   −273°C

0°C =   273 K               

Temperature:average kinetic energy; °C  and K

Specific    heat:the    amount  of  heat    required    to  raise   the temperature of  1   gram    ofa substance   by  1°C;    cal/g   ∙   °C

And remember, when it comes to heat content, temperature is a reflection of, but
not a direct measure of, heat content. Heat content is not measured in °C. It’s
measured in calories, joules, or kilojoules.