Specific heat of a substance depends upon

Concept:

• Specific heat or specific heat capacity of a body is the amount of heat required for a unit mass of the body to raise the temperature by 1 degree Celsius.
• It is generally denoted by C.

\(Q = mCΔ T\)              

Where Q = heat required, ΔT =  change in temperature and m = mass of the body.

So Specific heat capacity (C) is given by

\({\rm{\;\;C\;}} = {\rm{\;}}\frac{Q}{{mΔ T{\rm{\;}}\;}}\)

EXPLANATION:

• As it is heat required for unit mass of the body so specific heat doesn’t depend on the mass of that body.
• Specific heat capacity of anybody/material is a property of that body/material. It is same for each and every molecule of that body.
• So it doesn’t depend on the shape of the body. Thus independent of mass and shape of the body.
• As per the definition of the specific heat, it is the heat required to raise the temperature by 1°C. Hence the specific heat doesn’t depend on the temperature of the body.

• Since material to material the required heat energy to raise the temperature by 1°C per unit mass will differ. Hence specific heat capacity depends on material of the body/substance.

• Specific heat doesn’t depend on heat given because required heat energy for unit mass per rise of 1℃ can be calculated from the given heat energy to get specific heat.