Heat and Temperature – DEFINITIONS

DEFINITIONS

1 BRITISH THERMAL UNIT ( 1 Btu )

This is defined as :
'THE AMOUNT OF HEAT ENERGY ADDED TO, OR REMOVED FROM, ONE POUND OF PURE
WATER, TO CHANGE ITS TEMPERATURE BY ONE DEGREE FAHRENHEIT'. 

i.e. 
1 LB OF WATER, AT 60 °F + 1 BTU = 1LBOFWATERAT 61 °F = (Heating) 
1 LB OF WATER, AT 60 °F - 1 BTU = 1LB OF WATER AT 59 °F = (Cooling)

1 CALORIE (Cal)
This is defined as :
'THE AMOUNT OF HEAT ENERGY ADDED TO, OR REMOVED FROM, ONE GRAM OF PURE
WATER, TO CHANGE ITS TEMPERATURE BY ONE DEGREE CELSIUS (or CENTIGRADE)'. 

i.e. 
1 gm OF WATER, AT 15 °C + 1 CAL = 1 gmOF WATER AT 16 °C = (Heating)
1 gm OF WATER, AT 15 °C - 1 CAL = 1gm OF WATER AT 14 °C = (Cooling) 
( 1 Cal = 4.18 Joules ). The amount of heat energy contained in a body, depends on its
TEMPERATURE and its QUANTITY. 

e.g. Let us take two containers, one with 1 lb of water and the other with 10 lbs of water and both at
a temperature of 32 °F. We will now add 180 Btu's to each container. 

1 lb of water at 32 °F + 180 Btu's = 1 lb of water at 212 °F. 

10 lbs of water at 32 °F + 180 Btu's = 10 lbs of water at 50 °F ( 18 Btu / lb ) 

It can bee seen from the above that, each volume of water contains the same amount of heat energy
but, the larger amount is very much cooler.

SPECIFIC HEAT ( S.H. )

This is defined as :
'THE AMOUNT OF HEAT ENERGY IN BTU's (or Calories), NEEDED TO CHANGE THE
TEMPERATURE OF ONE POUND (or 1 Gram) OF A SUBSTANCE BY ONE DEGREE
FAHRENHEIT (or One Degree Centigrade)' 

Examples: Water has a Specific Heat of 1.0 which comes from the definition of a BTU or CAL: 
i.e. 1 lb + 1Btu = +1 °F (or Calorie: 1 gm + 1 Cal = +1 °C). 
The Specific Heat of Ice is 0.5. This means that, if 0.5 Btu is added to 1 lb of ice (at a temperature
BELOW 32 °F), the temperature will increase by 1 °F. 

The Specific Heat of Steam is also 0.5. This means that, if 0.5 Btu is added to 1 lb of steam (at a
temperature of 212 °F or above), the temperature will increase by 1 °F. 

This would be termed as ' SUPERHEATING' the steam) 

Different substances have different Specific Heats. 

LATENT HEAT of MELTING ICE : To change 1 lb of ice at 32 °F to 1 lb of water at 32 °F, requires
the addition of 144 Btu's of heat energy. 

LATENT HEAT of FREEZING WATER : To change 1 lb of water at 32 °F to 1 lb of ice at 32 °F,

requires the removal of 144 Btu's of heat energy. 

LATENT HEAT of VAPORISATION of WATER : To change 1 lb of water at 212 °F to 1 lb of steam

at 212 °F, requires the addition of 970 Btu's of heat energy. 

LATENT HEAT of CONDENSATION of STEAM : To change 1 lb of steam at 212 °F to 1 lb of water

at 212 °F, requires the removal of 970 Btu's of heat energy. 

Example 1 : 
50 lbs of water at 80 °F is cooled and frozen to a temperature of 2 °F. 
Calculate the amount of heat energy removed ( in Btu's ). 
The calculation is performed in three stages : 

1. The water is first cooled to 32 °F = (80 -32 = 48 °F change = 48 Btu's / lb removed : So:
From50 lbs = 50 x 48 = 2,400 Btu's.
2. To change the water at 32 °F to ice at 32 °F, we remove 50 x 144 Btu's. = 7,200 Btu's
3. To cool the ice from 32 °F to 2 °F (30 °F change), we remove 30 x 0.5 (SH ice) x 50 = 750
Btu's

Therefore: 
Total Btu's removed from the water = 2400 + 7200 + 750 = 10,350 Btu's 
(See Figure: 5). 
Figure: 5

HEAT : S.I. UNITS

As heat is a form of energy, then the S.I. units of heat are the same as for energy : 

i.e. Joules and Kilo-joules. The terms 'Sensible Heat', 'Latent Heat' and 'Specific Heat', also apply in
the S.I. system, just the units are different. 

In S.I. units, we have the same definitions as in Imperial units, and the following Figures for Sensible
and Latent heats : 

SENSIBLE HEAT: 
To change the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1°C needs 4180 Joules of heat energy. 

LATENT HEAT: 
(of melting): To change 1 kg of ice at 0°C to water at 0°C requires 335,000 Joules (335 kJ) of heat
energy. 

LATENT HEAT (of vaporisation): 

To change 1kg of water at 100°C to steam at 100°C requires 2,257,000 Joules (2257 kJ) of heat
energy. 

(See Figure: 6) 

The unit for the quantity of 'Specific Heat' is :- Joules per Kilogram per degree Celsius which has the
abbreviation :- J/kg/°C . 

And for 'Latent Heat', the units are Joules per Kilogram :- J/kg . 

Following are some Specific Heat Figures in J/kg/°C for various substances: 

LEAD 130 
ZINC 380 
COPPER 380 
IRON 460 
ALUMINIUM 890 
STEAM 2000 
ICE 2100
WATER 4180 

Figure: 6
About the Author
Norrie is a retired professional who has been working in Oil and Gas and LNG production in Marsa-
el-Brega, Libya for 30 years.
Norrie used to be in the Training Dept. and prepared Programmes for Libyan Traine