Specific heat is a property of a substance that indicates the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a unit mass of the substance by one degree Celsius (or one Kelvin).
Step 2: Mathematical Representation
The specific heat \( c \) can be mathematically expressed as:
\[
c = \frac{Q}{m \Delta T}
\]
where:
\( Q \) is the heat added or removed (in joules),
\( m \) is the mass of the substance (in kilograms),
\( \Delta T \) is the change in temperature (in degrees Celsius or Kelvin).
Step 3: Units of Specific Heat
The units of specific heat are typically joules per kilogram per degree Celsius (J/kg°C) or joules per kilogram per Kelvin (J/kg·K).
Final Answer
The specific heat is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius or Kelvin. It is given by the formula: