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Q = m × c × ΔT

Calorimetry calculator

Leave exactly one field empty. The page solves Q = mcΔT and states its units, so a kelvin and a Celsius change are never mixed up.

Short answer: 2 kg of water heated by 10 K absorbs 83,720 J — about 20 kcal. Copper, at 385 J/kg·K, would need less than a tenth of that for the same rise.

Why water takes so much heat

A high specific heat means a substance resists temperature change, which is why water is used as a coolant and why coastal cities have milder weather. Copper's low value is why a copper pan heats quickly but also cools quickly.

Worked example

A 0.5 kg aluminium block heated from 20 °C to 120 °C: ΔT = 100 K, Q = 0.5 × 900 × 100 = 45,000 J. The same block in water would need 0.5 × 4,186 × 100 = 209,300 J — four times the energy for the same rise.

Calorimetry questions

What is the calorimetry equation?

Q = mcΔT — heat equals mass times specific heat capacity times the temperature change. Raising 2 kg of water (4,186 J/kg·K) by 10 K needs 83,720 J, which is why heating water is expensive.

Can I use Celsius instead of kelvin?

Yes for the temperature change, because a one-degree change is the same size on both scales. Absolute temperatures must be in kelvin, but ΔT does not care which scale it was measured on.

What if the temperature change is zero?

Then no heat flows, so the other quantities are undetermined — the page refuses rather than dividing by zero. It also rejects a zero mass or zero specific heat for the same reason.

Where do specific heat values come from?

They are measured properties: water 4,186, aluminium 900, iron 450 and copper 385 J/kg·K, all at room temperature. The page takes the value you enter, so a laboratory figure or an exam value works equally well.

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Kinetic and potential energy calculatorMechanical energy in joules.Unit converterJoules, calories and kilowatt-hours.Ideal gas law calculatorTemperature in kelvin, properly.