The specific heat capacity of solids

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The specific heat capacity of most solids is approximately 25 J K^-1 mol^-1 due to the principles outlined in the equipartition theorem, which suggests that energy is distributed equally among all degrees of freedom in a system. The classical limit for a crystal's heat capacity is defined by the Dulong-Petit Law, which states it should be around 3R per mole. However, variations exist among different materials, as evidenced by the significant differences in specific heat capacities of substances like glass and copper. This variability indicates that while 25 J K^-1 mol^-1 is a common value, it is not universally applicable to all solids. Understanding these concepts is crucial for grasping the thermal properties of materials.
Saxby
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Why is the specific heat capacity of most solids around 25JK-1mol-1?

I remember being told ages ago that is was something to do with the theory of equipartition but I'm not really sure how that theory affects it or why it's around 25JK-1mol-1
 
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Saxby said:
Why is the specific heat capacity of most solids around 25JK-1mol-1?

I remember being told ages ago that is was something to do with the theory of equipartition but I'm not really sure how that theory affects it or why it's around 25JK-1mol-1

Are you sure?

Here is a list of specific heats of some of the most common solids:

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/specific-heat-solids-d_154.html

Compare some of the common stuff - glass window and copper. One is about twice the other. That's a 100% difference! And scanning through the list, I don't see this trend of them being "most" around the number you cited.

Zz.
 
The classical limit of a crystals heat capacity is 3R per mole. It's called the Dulong-Petit Law if you'd like to read about it.
 

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