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Question
Why is specific heat capacity taken as a measure of thermal inertia?
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Solution
We have H = ms Δθ or Δθ = (H/ms).
It follows that if s is more, Δθ will be small (for given values of H and m). Thus, for a given body, its specific heat capacity determines the change in temperature produced by a given quantity of heat. It is thus like mass in mechanics which determines the change in velocity (or the acceleration) produced by a given force. It is quite appropriate, therefore, to regard specific heat capacity as a measure of thermal inertia.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Given below are observations on molar specific heats at room temperature of some common gases.
| Gas |
Molar specific heat (Cv) (cal mol–1 K–1) |
| Hydrogen | 4.87 |
| Nitrogen | 4.97 |
| Oxygen | 5.02 |
| Nitric oxide | 4.99 |
| Carbon monoxide | 5.01 |
| Chlorine | 6.17 |
The measured molar specific heats of these gases are markedly different from those for monatomic gases. Typically, molar specific heat of a monatomic gas is 2.92 cal/mol K. Explain this difference. What can you infer from the somewhat larger (than the rest) value for chlorine?
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Differentiate between heat capacity and specific heat capacity.
Give one example where high specific heat capacity of water is used as heat reservoir ?
A heater of power P watt raises the temperature of m kg of a liquid by Δt K in time t s. Express
the specific heat capacity of liquid in terms of above data.
State the condition for the flow of heat energy from one body to another.
Give two reasons as to why copper is preferred over other metals for making calorimeters.
Discuss how high specific heat capacity of water helps in formation of land and sea breeze.
If 'Cp' and 'Cv' are molar specific heats of an ideal gas at constant pressure and volume respectively. If 'λ' is the ratio of two specific heats and 'R' is universal gas constant then 'Cp' is equal to ______.
Match the columns:
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
| The SI unit of specific heat capacity | (a) Jkg−1°C−1 |
| (b) kg/m3 | |
| (c) calorie |
