Specific Heat Calculator

Specific heat capacity is how much energy raises one kilogram of a substance by one degree. Water's is unusually high (about 4186 J/kg·°C), which is why it heats and cools slowly. The same formula works in reverse to find mass or specific heat from measured energy and temperature change.

Q = m · c · ΔT, where Q is heat energy (joules), m is mass (kg), c is specific heat capacity (J/kg·°C) and ΔT is the temperature change (°C). Rearrange to solve for m, c or ΔT.

Heating 2 kg of water (c = 4186) by 10 °C needs Q = 2 × 4186 × 10 = 83,720 J, or about 83.7 kJ.

1. Enter any three of Q, m, c and ΔT.
2. Leave the value you want to find blank.
3. Press Solve to get the missing value.

• Mixing units — using grams with a per-kilogram specific heat.
• Leaving more than one box blank, so there is nothing to solve.
• Using the final temperature instead of the temperature change.

The Specific Heat Calculator solves the heat equation Q = m · c · ΔT. Enter any three of heat energy, mass, specific heat capacity and temperature change, leave the unknown blank, and it solves for the missing value.

Physics and chemistry students, teachers, and engineers working with heating and cooling.

• Solves for any term in Q = m·c·ΔT.
• Shows heat energy in joules and kilojoules.
• Reminders of common specific heat values.
• Private — calculated entirely in your browser.

• Finding the energy to heat water by a set amount.
• Working out a material's specific heat from measurements.
• Checking homework on the heat equation.