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specific heat
See the most commonly confused word associated with heat capacity
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noun Physics.
the number of calories required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance 1°C, or the number of BTU's per pound per degree F.
(originally) the ratio of the thermal capacity of a substance to that of standard material.
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Origin of specific heat
First recorded in 1825–35
Words nearby specific heat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use specific heat in a sentence
Scientific definitions for specific heat
specific heat
See under heat capacity.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for specific heat
specific heat
The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius, or to raise the temperature of one pound of a substance by one degree Fahrenheit (see also Fahrenheit).
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.