Specific heat converter
Convert between J/kg·K and the calorie and BTU forms, and see how much energy it takes to warm your material.
That's about the same as water. Warming one kilogram by 10 °C takes about 41,840 J.
What it means
How much heat does it hold?
Values are at room temperature and constant pressure. Gases differ between constant pressure and constant volume.
Every unit
Your specific heat in every unit
Learn
Three things worth knowing
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One calorie, by definition
The calorie was defined as the heat to raise one gram of water by 1 °C. That is why water is exactly 1 cal/g·°C, and 4,184 J/kg·K.
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Black’s hidden heat
Joseph Black noticed in the 1760s that ice takes heat without getting warmer. Separating that from temperature gave us both specific and latent heat.
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Per kilogram, not per liter
Specific heat is per unit mass. Comparing a liter of oil with a liter of water needs the densities too, or the answer comes out wrong.
Shortcuts
Popular specific heat conversions
Background
About specific heat
Specific heat is the energy needed to raise one kilogram by one kelvin. Water is remarkably high at 4,184 J/kg·K, which is why oceans moderate climate and why a hot water bottle works.
Metals are low: copper needs barely a tenth of water’s energy, so it heats and cools fast.