The equation Q = CpmΔt is used to calculate what quantity?

• A. Heat capacity
• B. Specific heat capacity
• C. Mass
• D. Temperature

Answer: (A)

This equation is about how much heat energy is involved when a mass changes temperature. The symbol Q represents the heat transferred. The term m c_p is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a mass m by one degree, since c_p is the specific heat capacity per unit mass. Multiply that by the temperature change ΔT to get the total energy added or removed. So this formula yields the amount of heat, not the heat capacity, and not the mass or the temperature change itself. If you wanted the heat capacity of the whole object, you’d use Q = C ΔT, where C is the total heat capacity.