What is specific heat capacity?

Specific heat capacity is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by 1 degree Celsius (or 1 Kelvin). This means that when you provide energy in the form of heat to a substance, the specific heat capacity quantifies how much that substance's temperature will increase based on the energy supplied and its mass. This property is crucial in understanding thermal properties in various applications, including HVAC systems, where managing temperatures effectively is essential.

The other choices refer to different concepts in thermal physics. The heat needed to vaporize a liquid completely describes the latent heat of vaporization, which is concerned with the energy required for phase changes rather than temperature increase. The energy transferred during phase changes is not specific to a temperature change but instead reflects energy transactions that occur without temperature changes. The total heat capacity of a system involves summing up the heat capacities of all components, while specific heat capacity focuses on the heat capacity per unit mass of a specific substance.