Specific Heat Capacity: Comparing Spheres

AI Thread Summary
The discussion clarifies the distinction between "specific heat" and "heat capacity," emphasizing that specific heat is a property of matter while heat capacity is an object's attribute based on its specific heat and mass. It suggests that understanding these concepts is crucial for determining which sphere has a higher specific heat capacity. A link to a Wikipedia page is provided, reinforcing that specific heat capacity is defined as heat capacity per unit mass. The conversation hints at a deeper inquiry regarding the spheres beyond just their specific heat capacities. Overall, grasping these definitions is essential for conducting relevant experiments.
fabrc
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How do I know which one of these two spheres have more specific heat capacity?
 

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Hi fabrc. Can you explain what the photo is showing us?
 
First, I am afraid you are gluing the words of two different concepts...probably because they are directly related, but you need to keep in mind that they are two separate concepts.

To be sure, there is no "Specific Heat Capacity"; instead, you have two concepts:

"Specific Heat", this is a property of matter.

"Heat Capacity", this is an attribute on an object that depends on its "specific heat" and on its mass.

Once you understand these two concepts and how they relate to each other (go back to read the textbook or google...I got a few links right away), you should be able to explain what experiment you can do to answer the correct question.
 
gsal said:
First, I am afraid you are gluing the words of two different concepts...probably because they are directly related, but you need to keep in mind that they are two separate concepts.

To be sure, there is no "Specific Heat Capacity"; instead, you have two concepts:

"Specific Heat", this is a property of matter.

"Heat Capacity", this is an attribute on an object that depends on its "specific heat" and on its mass.

Once you understand these two concepts and how they relate to each other (go back to read the textbook or google...I got a few links right away), you should be able to explain what experiment you can do to answer the correct question.
I googled it, as you suggested. This is the first link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_capacity

Taken from the second paragraph on that page: '. . . and the specific heat capacity, often simply called specific heat, is the heat capacity per unit mass of a material.'
 
If you take the question at face value... The specific heat capacity depends only on the material the sphere is made of and that's stated on the image.

However I suspect there is more to the question.
 
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