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Multiple Choice

What is the unit of specific heat capacity?

Specific heat capacity tells us how much energy per kilogram is needed to raise the temperature by 1 degree. That means the unit is energy per mass per temperature change: joules per kilogram per degree (J/(kg·°C) or J/(kg·K), since °C and K measure temperature change the same way). The standard way here is J/(kg°C). This includes both the mass and the temperature change. An energy unit alone (J) misses the mass and temperature change; J/(°C) misses the mass; and J/(kg/K) would be written as J·K/kg, which isn’t the conventional form for specific heat capacity.

Specific heat capacity tells us how much energy per kilogram is needed to raise the temperature by 1 degree. That means the unit is energy per mass per temperature change: joules per kilogram per degree (J/(kg·°C) or J/(kg·K), since °C and K measure temperature change the same way). The standard way here is J/(kg°C). This includes both the mass and the temperature change. An energy unit alone (J) misses the mass and temperature change; J/(°C) misses the mass; and J/(kg/K) would be written as J·K/kg, which isn’t the conventional form for specific heat capacity.