Specific Heat

This definition page has been automatically generated. You can help ExoDictionary by expanding, updating, or correcting it.

This autostub has not yet had its initial copyediting proof and may contain significant formatting and even factual errors. You can improve Exodictionary by cleaning up the page markup and verifying that the definition is correct and then removing this tag.

This autostub has not yet had its initial categorization proof and may be categorized incorrectly. You can improve Exodictionary by removing inappropriate categories and then removing this tag.

Specific Heat

</dt>
The ratio of the heat absorbed (or released) by unit mass of a system to the corresponding temperature rise (or fall). If this ratio varies with temperature, it must be defined as a differential quotient dQ/dT, where dQ is the infinitesimal increment of heat per unit mass and dT is the infinitesimal increment of temperature. </dd>
For gases the thermodynamic process must be specified; two specific heats are defined, one being the specific heat in a constant-pressure process

c_p = (dQ / dT)_pand the other, the specific heat in a constant-volume process c_v = (dQ / dT)_v

In a perfect gas these are, by definition, constants with respect to temperature, and the difference of the specific heat at constant pressure and the specific heat at constant volume is equal to the

gas constant: R = c_p - c_v[[/a>|/a>

]]

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use