Specific heat/capacity, which cools faster?

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In summary, the cooling rate of a material is influenced by various factors, including the temperature difference with its surroundings and its specific heat capacity index. However, the specific heat capacity only determines how much heat per unit mass the material can absorb for a 1 degree change in temperature. While it is possible that a material with a lower specific heat capacity may cool faster than one with a higher value, this is not always the case as other factors, such as the heat transfer coefficient, also play a role. The definition of "cooling faster" can also vary, either referring to the rate of heat loss or temperature change. Therefore, the material with the lower specific heat capacity may cool faster in terms of temperature change, but the one with the
  • #1
syntotic
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Which material will cool faster, one with a higher specific heat/capacity index or one with a lower value?
 
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  • #2
Cooling rate depends on temperature difference with an object's surroundings, among other things. All the specific heat capacity will tell you is how much heat per unit mass the material can absorb for a temperature change of 1 degree.
 
  • #3
mmm... Bismuth would cool faster than water then, because it absorbs less heat to change temperature one degree?
 
  • #4
Possibly, but there's no guarantee of that. Other factors are involved, especially in your example where one substance is a liquid and one is solid.
 
  • #5
Well, the 1D heat conduction equation is
[itex]\frac{dT}{dt}=\frac{k}{\rho Cp}\frac{d^2T}{dx^2}[/itex]
so a larger Cp would result in a smaller thermal diffusivity, and therefore an object with large Cp would respond slower to temperature changes (because of what SteamKing said).
 
  • #6
Ecco.
 
  • #7
The word cooling is poorly defined here. It can mean the rate of heat loss or temperature change. So heat transfer coefficient can matter too.
 
  • #8
If you assume everything is identical except the SHC and that "cools faster" means the temperature falls faster then the one with the lower SHC will cool faster.

If they both start at the same temperature the one with the higher SHC will start with more energy. If the heat loss in joules/second is the same for both the one with the highest SHC will stay hot for longer.
 

FAQ: Specific heat/capacity, which cools faster?

1. What is specific heat/capacity?

Specific heat/capacity is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius. It is also known as the heat capacity.

2. How is specific heat/capacity measured?

Specific heat/capacity is typically measured using a calorimeter, which is a device that measures the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance during a chemical or physical change.

3. Why does water have a high specific heat/capacity?

Water has a high specific heat/capacity because of its molecular structure. The hydrogen bonds between water molecules require a lot of energy to break, resulting in a high specific heat/capacity. This means that water can absorb a large amount of heat energy without a significant increase in temperature.

4. Which cools faster, a substance with a high or low specific heat/capacity?

A substance with a low specific heat/capacity will cool faster than a substance with a high specific heat/capacity. This is because it requires less heat energy to raise the temperature of a substance with a low specific heat/capacity, so it will also lose heat energy more quickly.

5. How does specific heat/capacity affect climate?

The specific heat/capacity of different substances can impact climate in various ways. For example, the high specific heat/capacity of water can help regulate temperature in coastal areas, making them cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It also affects the movement of heat energy in the atmosphere and ocean currents, which can impact regional and global climate patterns.

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