Temperature Change Formula:
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Temperature change calculation determines how much the temperature of a substance changes when heat is added or removed. It's based on the fundamental thermodynamic relationship between heat energy, mass, and specific heat capacity.
The calculator uses the temperature change formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula shows that temperature change is directly proportional to the heat added and inversely proportional to both the mass and specific heat capacity of the substance.
Details: Calculating temperature change is essential in various fields including thermodynamics, engineering, materials science, and environmental studies. It helps in designing heating/cooling systems, understanding thermal properties of materials, and analyzing energy transfer processes.
Tips: Enter heat in joules, mass in kilograms, and specific heat in J/kgK. All values must be positive numbers. The result will be temperature change in kelvin (which is equivalent to degrees Celsius for temperature differences).
Q1: What is specific heat capacity?
A: Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1 kelvin.
Q2: Can this formula be used for cooling processes?
A: Yes, the formula works for both heating and cooling. For cooling, Q will be negative, indicating a temperature decrease.
Q3: Why are the units in kelvin instead of celsius?
A: Temperature change is the same in both kelvin and celsius scales since they have the same increment size. The result can be interpreted as either K or °C.
Q4: What are typical specific heat values?
A: Water has a high specific heat of 4186 J/kgK, while metals like iron have lower values around 450 J/kgK.
Q5: Does this formula account for phase changes?
A: No, this formula only applies when there is no phase change. During phase changes (melting, boiling), temperature remains constant despite heat transfer.