Why is low specific heat capacity good?

So, a high value means that it takes MORE energy to raise (or lower) its temperature. A low value means that it does not take very much energy to heat or cool it. Adding heat to a “low specific heat” compound will increase its temperature much more quickly than adding heat to a high specific heat compound.

Is it better to have a high or low heat capacity?

Heat capacity is related to a substance’s ability to retain heat and the rate at which it will heat up or cool. For example, a substance with a low heat capacity, such as iron , will heat and cool quickly, while a substance with a high heat capacity, such as water , heats and cools slowly.

What is the advantage of heat capacity?

. Water has a high specific heat capacity which we’ll refer to as simply “heat capacity”, meaning it takes more energy to increase the temperature of water compared to other substances. This is why water is valuable to industries and in your car’s radiator as a coolant.

What has low specific heat capacity?

Metals such as iron have low specific heat. It doesn’t take much energy to raise their temperature. That’s why a metal spoon heats up quickly when placed in a cup of hot coffee. Sand also has a relatively low specific heat.

What is disadvantages of water having high specific heat capacity?

Water has high specific heat. So, it can absorb a large amount of heat without rising its temperature to a high value. But it cannot be used for measuring small temperature differences.

What are the disadvantages of high specific heat capacity of water?

What is specific heat capacity and why is it important?

It has importance in terms of energy, time and costs involved in changing temperatures of objects. Specific heat capacity is a measure of the amount of heat energy required to change the temperature of 1 kg of a material by 1 K.

What is the difference between high and low specific heat?

Specific heat is #J/(g-^oK)#. So, a high value means that it takes MORE energy to raise (or lower) its temperature. A low value means that it does not take very much energy to heat or cool it. Adding heat to a “low specific heat” compound will increase its temperature much more quickly than adding heat to a high specific heat compound.

Why should a thermometer have substances with low specific heat capacity?

Since these substances have low heat capacity they get heated quicker. Eg:- Metals. Thermometer should have substances with low specific heat capacity to measure the temperature. Mercury has a low specific heat capacity .Therefore it does not take much heat from the body whose temperature is to be measured.

Why do metals have low specific heat capacities?

I came across the following answer to the question “Why do metals have low specific heat capacities?”: Metal atoms in pure metal are very close together and are able to transfer heat easily via conduction from one atom exciting the other atoms next to it.