Loading…
Loading…
MotionLab
Why water takes so much longer to heat up than metal — different materials need very different amounts of energy per degree.
Water has an unusually high specific heat capacity compared to most materials, meaning it takes a lot of energy to change its temperature — this is part of why coastal climates are milder than inland ones, and why water is used in cooling systems.
This formula only applies while a substance stays in the same phase (like liquid water warming up) — melting or boiling requires a separate calculation (latent heat), since temperature stays constant during a phase change even as energy is added.
Heat energy (J)
83,720
Q = mcΔT
What you entered
Q = mcΔT
1 × 4186 × 20= 83720 JResult
Heat energy (J): 83,720
Heating 1kg by 20° needs 83,720 J of energy.