Specific Heat Capacity and Calorimeters

A calorimeter is a scientific device used to measure the heat energy exchanged in a chemical or physical process, such as a chemical reaction or a phase change. Calorimeters are crucial tools in thermodynamics and calorimetry, the branch of science that studies heat transfer in various processes.
There are different types of calorimeters, but they all have the same basic principle: they isolate the system under investigation from its surroundings and measure the temperature change that occurs as a result of the heat transfer. The heat energy exchanged between the system and its surroundings is determined by measuring the temperature change and using the concept of specific heat capacity.
Specific heat capacity, often denoted as "c," is a material-specific property that describes how much heat energy is required to raise the temperature of a unit mass (typically 1 gram or 1 kilogram) of a substance by 1 degree Celsius (or 1 Kelvin). It quantifies the ability of a substance to store or release heat energy.
The formula for calculating the heat energy (Q) exchanged in a process involving a change in temperature (ΔT) for a given mass (m) of a substance is as follows:
Q = m * c * ΔT
Where:
Q is the heat energy exchanged (in joules or calories).
m is the mass of the substance involved (in grams or kilograms).
c is the specific heat capacity of the substance (in J/g°C or J/kg°C).
ΔT is the change in temperature (in degrees Celsius or Kelvin).
In a calorimeter, the specific heat capacity plays a crucial role in determining the amount of heat energy gained or lost by the substances being studied. By measuring the temperature change of the system and knowing the specific heat capacities of the materials involved (e.g., the substance being reacted and any solvent or container), scientists can calculate the heat of the reaction or process occurring in the calorimeter.
Calorimeters are widely used in chemistry to determine the enthalpy changes of chemical reactions (ΔH) and in various fields of physics and engineering to study heat-related phenomena. They are valuable tools for understanding and quantifying energy transformations in various processes.
00:00 Heat Capacity
07:22 Calorimeters