WHAT SCIENTIFIC TERM OR CONCEPT OUGHT TO BE MORE WIDELY KNOWN? - SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY
Editor’s Note: In this piece Luca Conetta (‘19) explains the everyday uses of the concept, Specific Heat Capacity.
Have you ever wondered why coffee cups are made out of styrofoam, or why we use metal pots? Everything is made of elements, and those elements are categorized by different qualities or measurements. Something that helps to categorize or evaluate elements or compounds is the specific heat capacity of materials. Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat (energy) required to raise the temperature of one unit of mass of a substance by one degree. The specific heat of different materials is usually different and helps determine the usefulness of different materials. When two substances interact, they always end up the same temperature. This is why metal pots get hot when you boil water, and it’s also why ice melts when left out.
Specific heat is crucial during energy transfers, as the specific heat of a material determines the amount of energy it can receive or give. This means that it determines how much the temperature of each substance has to change in order to reach equilibrium. For example, a substance with a lower specific heat would change more in temperature than one with a higher specific heat if those two substances were exposed to one another at different temperatures. This is because the second substance would require more energy to change temperature, making it easier for the first substance to do most of the heavy lifting.
The specific heat of a material is an extremely important factor in its uses. As previously stated, coffee cups are made of styrofoam, which has an extremely high specific heat, meaning that it takes a large quantity of energy to change its temperature. This also means that the styrofoam will keep the liquids it contains at relatively hot or cold temperatures because it will not take energy from them or give energy to them. This is also why electronics get hot when we use them, and also why metal is not always used in the manufacture of said electronics, as to protect people from the energy being transferred within. Specific heat is prevalent in many parts of modern life, be it cooking, electronics, or various other uses. Despite all of this, the actual science behind the uses of materials remains relatively unknown to the majority of the public, with many taking things for granted and not considering the basic concepts of science that make their everyday lives easier. However, specific heat is not alone, with multitudes of scientific concepts that are used everyday not receiving the recognition they deserve.
Specific heat is crucial during energy transfers, as the specific heat of a material determines the amount of energy it can receive or give. This means that it determines how much the temperature of each substance has to change in order to reach equilibrium. For example, a substance with a lower specific heat would change more in temperature than one with a higher specific heat if those two substances were exposed to one another at different temperatures. This is because the second substance would require more energy to change temperature, making it easier for the first substance to do most of the heavy lifting.
The specific heat of a material is an extremely important factor in its uses. As previously stated, coffee cups are made of styrofoam, which has an extremely high specific heat, meaning that it takes a large quantity of energy to change its temperature. This also means that the styrofoam will keep the liquids it contains at relatively hot or cold temperatures because it will not take energy from them or give energy to them. This is also why electronics get hot when we use them, and also why metal is not always used in the manufacture of said electronics, as to protect people from the energy being transferred within. Specific heat is prevalent in many parts of modern life, be it cooking, electronics, or various other uses. Despite all of this, the actual science behind the uses of materials remains relatively unknown to the majority of the public, with many taking things for granted and not considering the basic concepts of science that make their everyday lives easier. However, specific heat is not alone, with multitudes of scientific concepts that are used everyday not receiving the recognition they deserve.
