Specific Heat Capacity of Water
Specific Heat capacity (C) is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius (or 1 Kelvin).
It is an intrinsic property of a material, meaning it depends on the substance’s molecular structure and phase (solid, liquid, gas).
Specific Heat Capacity of Water – Water has one of the highest specific heat capacities among common substances:
– 4.186 J/g·°C (joules per gram per degree Celsius)
– 4186 J/kg·°C** (joules per kilogram per degree Celsius)
This means it takes 4.186 joules of energy to raise 1 gram of water by 1°C.
Formula for Heat Energy (Q)
The heat energy (Q) required to change the temperature of a substance is given by:
| Temp (°C) |
Isochoric Specific Heat (Cv) | Isobaric Specific Heat (Cp) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J/(mol·K) | kJ/(kg·K) | kWh/(kg·K) | kcal/(kg·K) | Btu(IT)/(lb·°F) | J/(mol·K) | kJ/(kg·K) | kWh/(kg·K) | kcal/(kg·K) | Btu(IT)/(lb·°F) | |
| 0 | 75.31 | 4.178 | 0.001161 | 0.998 | 0.998 | 75.38 | 4.181 | 0.001161 | 0.999 | 0.999 |
| 10 | 75.33 | 4.179 | 0.001161 | 0.998 | 0.998 | 75.45 | 4.185 | 0.001163 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| 20 | 75.35 | 4.180 | 0.001161 | 0.999 | 0.999 | 75.52 | 4.189 | 0.001164 | 1.001 | 1.001 |
| 30 | 75.69 | 4.199 | 0.001166 | 1.003 | 1.003 | 76.25 | 4.230 | 0.001175 | 1.010 | 1.010 |
| 40 | 76.25 | 4.230 | 0.001175 | 1.010 | 1.010 | 77.12 | 4.278 | 0.001188 | 1.022 | 1.022 |
| 50 | 76.99 | 4.271 | 0.001186 | 1.020 | 1.020 | 78.19 | 4.338 | 0.001205 | 1.036 | 1.036 |
| 60 | 77.81 | 4.317 | 0.001199 | 1.031 | 1.031 | 79.45 | 4.407 | 0.001224 | 1.053 | 1.053 |
| 70 | 78.78 | 4.370 | 0.001214 | 1.044 | 1.044 | 80.89 | 4.487 | 0.001246 | 1.072 | 1.072 |
| 80 | 80.09 | 4.443 | 0.001234 | 1.061 | 1.061 | 82.65 | 4.585 | 0.001274 | 1.095 | 1.095 |
| 90 | 81.42 | 4.517 | 0.001255 | 1.079 | 1.079 | 84.53 | 4.689 | 0.001302 | 1.120 | 1.120 |
| 100 | 82.90 | 4.599 | 0.001278 | 1.099 | 1.099 | 86.65 | 4.807 | 0.001335 | 1.148 | 1.148 |
| 120 | 86.38 | 4.792 | 0.001331 | 1.145 | 1.145 | 91.63 | 5.083 | 0.001412 | 1.214 | 1.214 |
| 140 | 90.08 | 4.997 | 0.001388 | 1.194 | 1.194 | 97.16 | 5.390 | 0.001497 | 1.288 | 1.288 |
| 160 | 94.14 | 5.222 | 0.001451 | 1.248 | 1.248 | 103.4 | 5.736 | 0.001593 | 1.370 | 1.370 |
| 180 | 98.68 | 5.474 | 0.001521 | 1.308 | 1.308 | 110.4 | 6.125 | 0.001701 | 1.463 | 1.463 |
| 200 | 104.6 | 5.803 | 0.001612 | 1.386 | 1.386 | 118.4 | 6.570 | 0.001825 | 1.570 | 1.570 |
| 220 | 111.8 | 6.203 | 0.001723 | 1.482 | 1.482 | 127.8 | 7.090 | 0.001969 | 1.694 | 1.694 |
| 240 | 115.8 | 6.424 | 0.001784 | 1.535 | 1.535 | 134.6 | 7.467 | 0.002074 | 1.784 | 1.784 |
| 260 | 124.1 | 6.885 | 0.001912 | 1.645 | 1.645 | 144.8 | 8.033 | 0.002231 | 1.919 | 1.919 |
| 280 | 131.9 | 7.317 | 0.002033 | 1.748 | 1.748 | 154.1 | 8.549 | 0.002375 | 2.043 | 2.043 |
| 300 | 139.9 | 7.761 | 0.002156 | 1.854 | 1.854 | 164.8 | 9.142 | 0.002539 | 2.184 | 2.184 |
| 320 | 148.9 | 8.261 | 0.002295 | 1.974 | 1.974 | 176.9 | 9.814 | 0.002726 | 2.345 | 2.345 |
| 340 | 158.6 | 8.798 | 0.002444 | 2.102 | 2.102 | 190.6 | 10.57 | 0.002936 | 2.526 | 2.526 |
| 360 | 169.2 | 9.387 | 0.002607 | 2.243 | 2.243 | 205.9 | 11.42 | 0.003172 | 2.729 | 2.729 |
Data Source: International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) Revised Release on the IAPWS Industrial Formulation 1997 for the Thermodynamic Properties of Water and Steam. August 2007.
Note: Values are calculated at saturation pressure for each temperature. Differences between isochoric (Cv) and isobaric (Cp) specific heats become more pronounced at higher temperatures.
Note: Values are calculated at saturation pressure for each temperature. Differences between isochoric (Cv) and isobaric (Cp) specific heats become more pronounced at higher temperatures.