The specific heat of a system is defined as the quantity of heat required to raise a unit mass of the

system by one degree in temperature. Thus, if the heat is dQ and the rise in temperature is dT, the specific
heat may be expressed by the following limit:

where x, y,..., are the quantities such as pressure, volume, magnetic field and so on, that are kept constant
during the measurement.
In general specific heat depends upon the temperature of the system and the way it is heated. The
two principal specific heats are cv and cp. The former refers to measurements made at constant volume
and the latter to those made under constant pressure. By convention (c) is used for the specific heat per
unit mass and (C) for one mole of the substance. In most theoretical calculations it is the specific heat per
mole that is computed since it refers to a fixed number of particles. This quantity is sometimes referred to
as heat capacity. The heat capacities corresponding to c, and Cp, therefore, are commonly indicated by C v
and Cp, respectively. For the most part results will be given for one mole of the material. It will be clear
from the context whether specific heat per mole or per unit mass is meant.
In recent years the SI system of units has become increasingly used in scientific literature to
express values of specific heat. In this system c v, or cp, are expressed in J/kg.K and Cv, or Cp, in J/mol.K.
In engineering literature, however, it is still common to find the specific heats expressed in BTU/lb.deg.F.
This has almost the same value as the earlier unit cal/g.K, now no longer in use.

Heat is needed to warm up anything, but the amount of heat is not the same for all things.
Therefore it is desirable to know the specific heat of a substance. The amount of heat needed to raise the
temperature of one gram of a substance by one Celsius degree is call the “specific heat” or “specific heat
capacity” of that substance. For pure water, that amount is one calorie, which is equivalent to 4.184
joules. Almost all other substances have lower specific heats than water does.
 Specific heat is defined in terms of one gram of substance and a one degree temperature rise, but
of course it is applied to other-sized samples and other temperature changes. So, in general terms:
Heat that must be put = (temperature change) × (grams sample) × (specific heat) into a sample
or Q =s•m•∆T, where Q is the amount of heat, s is the specific heat, m is the mass of the sample, and ∆T
is the temperature change. This equation can be used to calculate the amount of heat that must be
involved when the other three values are known or measured. If a substance is cooling off, rather than
warming up, the term Q represents the heat that is given off by the sample (instead of the heat that must
be put into the sample). This same equation can also be used to calculate a specific heat, when the other
three terms are known or measured. That is what you will be doing in the present experiment.
The heat that is taken from a hot sample into cooler surrounding material, such as water, can be
measured in an insulated container called a calorimeter. A weighed amount of the substance being studied
is heated to some known (measured) temperature and is then poured quickly into the calorimeter that
already contains a measured amount of water at a known, measured temperature. Heat flows from the hot
substance into the cooler water, until the sample temperature and the water temperature become equal.
(This final temperature will be somewhere in between the initial temperatures of the two substances.)
When two objects at different temperatures are placed in contact with each other, heat always
flows from the hotter to the cooler object. Heat will flow until the two reach thermal equilibrium, when
they are at the same temperature. It will always be true that the number of calories (or joules) of heat lost
by the originally hot object will equal the number of calories (or joules) gained by the originally cold
object. In other words, the amount of heat lost is equal to the amount of heat gained (Qlost = Qgained).
In recent years the SI system of units has become increasingly used in scientific literature to
express values of specific heat. In this system c v, or cp, are expressed in J/kg.K and Cv, or Cp, in J/mol.K.
In engineering literature, however, it is still common to find the specific heats expressed in BTU/lb.deg.F.
This has almost the same value as the earlier unit cal/g.K, now no longer in use.

Metals are a class of elements characterized by a tendency to give up electrons. Metals are

good thermal and electrical conductors. At room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure, metals
tend to be solids - except for mercury, which is a liquid. Metals are usually ductile, malleable, and shiny,
and can form alloys with other metals. Metals are tremendously important to high-energy: they
transport electricity in the electrical grid and provide many services. Various manufacturing processes
around the world use more than 3 gigatonnes of metal every year. Industry uses more than 30 different
metals, with the most used being iron (the biggest component of steel), chromium d manganese (both are
added in small quantities to iron to make different types of steel), aluminum, and copper.[
Metals are an important resource for the world today with almost countless applications. The
most widely used metal is also the least expensive: iron.[8] Iron is the main component of steel.
The electrical grid couldn't exist without copper and steel. In fact, all areas of electricity production
and distribution require metal, from turbines used to transform mechanical energy into electricity to the
distribution stations that bring electricity to homes.
In addition to the electrical grid, metals are a principal component of building construction (often
in the form of steel reinforcement for concrete). Most vehicles are made from metal, from automobiles to
airplanes. Common household appliances and electronic devices also use a significant amount of different
metals as well. As technology advances, the number of elements used in society (including metals)
increases.