Eng Unit Converter

Specific heat capacity (c) is the energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass by one degree. It determines how much energy a material can store and how quickly it heats or cools. The SI unit is J/(kg·K). Key conversions: 1 BTU/(lb·°F) = 4,186.8 J/(kg·K) = 1 kcal/(kg·°C), 1 J/(kg·K) = 2.388 × 10⁻⁴ BTU/(lb·°F). Since ΔT of 1 K = 1°C, J/(kg·K) and J/(kg·°C) are interchangeable. Reference: water = 4,187 J/(kg·K), steel ≈ 500 J/(kg·K), air ≈ 1,005 J/(kg·K). Specific heat is essential in HVAC load calculations, heat exchanger design, thermal energy storage, metallurgical heat treatment, and chemical reactor design. Critical pitfalls: confusing Cp (constant pressure) and Cv (constant volume). For ideal gases, Cp - Cv = R and Cp/Cv = γ ≈ 1.4 for air. Using Cv instead of Cp in enthalpy calculations introduces ~40% error for air. Also, the calorie was originally defined from water's specific heat, which is why c_water = 1 cal/(g·°C) exactly.