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Thermal Physics · Physics

Calorimetry is bookkeeping: energy in equals energy out.

Use heat capacity to connect temperature change to energy transfer, then apply energy balance in mixing and phase-change setups.

This topic

Specific Heat and Calorimetry

Treat calorimetry as an energy accounting problem with clear system boundaries and assumptions.

Property
Specific heat capacity
Specific heat links energy transfer to temperature change for a given mass and material.
  • Meaning of c (J/kg·K)
  • Why different materials warm differently
  • When c can be treated constant
Start nano-lesson Interpret c as “thermal inertia.”
Property
Molar heat capacity
Use moles instead of mass when working with gases or chemical amounts.
  • Meaning of C (J/mol·K)
  • Converting between molar and mass-based forms
  • Why “per mole” is convenient for gases
Start nano-lesson Choose units that match the problem.
Experiment
Calorimetry experiments
Calorimetry measures unknown heat capacities or energy transfers by tracking temperature changes.
  • Mixing hot and cold materials
  • Accounting for the calorimeter itself
  • Assumptions: isolated system, negligible losses
Start nano-lesson State what you neglect—and why.
Method
Energy balance in thermal systems
Solve by energy conservation: total heat gained + total heat lost = 0 (for an isolated system).
  • Define system and surroundings
  • Sign conventions for Q
  • Common pitfalls in “final temperature” problems
Start nano-lesson Write the balance before plugging numbers.
Practice
Practice & Exercises
Practice heat-capacity computations and calorimetry energy-balance setups with clean assumptions.
  • Q = mcΔT drills (multi-material)
  • Mixing problems: solve for final temperature
  • Include calorimeter heat capacity (intro)
  • Concept checks: what counts as “isolated”?
  • Exam-style calorimetry sets
Open practice Energy balance first.