what do the units for specific heat mean?
- steve_geo1Lv 77 years agoFavorite Answer
Specific heat is a ratio, so it has no units. It so happens that the specific heat of a substance is numerically equal to the heat capacity in units of cal/g-degC.
The units of heat capacity mean a certain amount of calories of heat per degree C per 1g of substance. Or a certain amount of joules of heat per degree C per mole of substance. Or 1 BTU (British thermal unit) per pound of substance per degree F.