heat capacity
noun Thermodynamics.
the heat required to raise the temperature of a substance one degree.
Compare
specific heat.
Origin of heat capacity
First recorded in 1900–05
Words nearby heat capacity
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British Dictionary definitions for heat capacity
heat capacity
noun
the heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by unit temperature interval under specified conditions, usually measured in joules per kelvin. Symbol: C p (for constant pressure) or C v (for constant volume)
Medical definitions for heat capacity
heat capacity
n.
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one mole or one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius without change of phase.
thermal capacity
Scientific definitions for heat capacity
heat capacity
The ratio of the heat energy absorbed by a substance to its increase in temperature. Heat capacity is also called thermal capacity.♦ The specific heat or specific heat capacity of a substance is the heat capacity per unit mass, usually measured in joules per kilogram per degree Kelvin. See also latent heat thermodynamics.
Cultural definitions for heat capacity
heat capacity
In physics, the capability of a substance to absorb energy in the form of heat for a given increase in temperature. Materials with high heat capacities, such as water, require greater amounts of heat to increase their temperatures than do substances with low heat capacities, such as metals. (See entropy.)