What is the unit of heat capacity?

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Multiple Choice

What is the unit of heat capacity?

Heat capacity tells you how much energy you need to add to raise the temperature of something by one kelvin. Since heat is measured in joules and temperature change in kelvin, the unit is joules per kelvin (J/K). That’s the standard SI unit for heat capacity. J is just energy, not energy per temperature change, so it isn’t the right unit. J/°C would give the same numeric value for a 1-degree change because 1 K equals 1 °C for differences, but the official SI unit is J/K. J/kg°C is for specific heat capacity (energy per mass per degree), not total heat capacity.

Heat capacity tells you how much energy you need to add to raise the temperature of something by one kelvin. Since heat is measured in joules and temperature change in kelvin, the unit is joules per kelvin (J/K). That’s the standard SI unit for heat capacity.

J is just energy, not energy per temperature change, so it isn’t the right unit. J/°C would give the same numeric value for a 1-degree change because 1 K equals 1 °C for differences, but the official SI unit is J/K. J/kg°C is for specific heat capacity (energy per mass per degree), not total heat capacity.

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