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specific heat
noun
: the heat in calories required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one degree Celsius
Examples of specific heat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To have gotten myself to get there for that specific heat was special.
—Anna Dimond, Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2024
Objects with large surface areas and smaller masses have lower specific heats.
—Anil Oza, TIME, 18 June 2024
Every object has what is called specific heat, which is how much energy is required to heat it up or cool it down by 1°C.
—Anil Oza, TIME, 18 June 2024
However, there were a couple of missing features typically found in slow cookers at a slightly higher price such as an indicator light to confirm the appliance—or specific heat setting—is on.
—Deanne Revel, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Sep. 2023
Some spoke with New Scientist, saying that tell-tale signs of superconductivity—including a particular response to a magnetic field or a specific heat capacity—aren’t represented in the data.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 27 July 2023
And the report pins the blame on climate change, saying: While climate change is already increasing the intensity and likelihood of hot days and heatwaves, recently scientists have been studying specific heat events and asking: just how much of an influence did climate change have?
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 10 Feb. 2015
Air, on the other hand, has a low specific heat so its temperature fluctuates, and gets too cold for turtle survival.
—Jacqueline Litzgus, Discover Magazine, 22 Nov. 2017
Much of the power of extreme event attribution comes from its ability to address the firsthand experience of people suffering through specific heat waves or floods—their hyperlocality.
—Grace Huckins, Wired, 15 Dec. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'specific heat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1799, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near specific heat
Cite this Entry
“Specific heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specific%20heat. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
specific heat
noun
: the heat in calories required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one degree Celsius
Medical Definition
specific heat
noun1
: the ratio of the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a body one degree to that required to raise the temperature of an equal mass of water one degree
2
: the heat in calories required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one degree Celsius
More from Merriam-Webster on specific heat
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about specific heat
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