# Heat Capacity

Written by Jerry Ratzlaff on . Posted in Thermodynamics

Heat capacity, abbreviated as C or $$c_p$$, is the amount of enerigy required to increase the temperature of a substance by 1°C.  The heat gain or loss results in a change in temperature and the state and performance of work.

## Heat capacity formula

 $$\large{ C = \frac {\Delta Q} { \Delta T } }$$

### Where:

 Units English SI $$\large{ C }$$ = heat capacity $$\large{\frac{Btu}{F}}$$ $$\large{\frac{kJ}{K}}$$ $$\large{ \Delta Q }$$ = heat transfered amount $$\large{\frac{Btu}{hr}}$$ $$\large{ W }$$ $$\large{ \Delta T }$$ = temperature differential $$\large{ F }$$ $$\large{ K }$$

## Related Heat Capacity formula

 $$\large{ C = \frac {Pe \; k}{ v \; \rho \; l_c } }$$ (Peclet number)

### Where:

$$\large{ C }$$ = heat capacity

$$\large{ l_c }$$ = characteristic length

$$\large{ \rho }$$  (Greek symbol rho) = density

$$\large{ Pe }$$ = Peclet number

$$\large{ k }$$ = thermal conductivity

$$\large{ v }$$ = velocity