If a material has a higher Sp. Heat than the other what is its physical meaning? If a material has a higher thermal conductivity than the other what is its physical meaning?
Specific Heat deals with the ability of the material to regulate the (state) temperature within the materials whereas the thermal conductivity of the material deals with the ability of heat transmitted through the materials.
Lets understand the Sp. heat: Amount of heat required to raise the body temp. by 1'C.
-->> lets take two different bodies & start heating assuming (initially both the bodies are at same temp, both the bodies needs different amount of energy to raise their temp. by 1'C ), that means the body whichever needs more energy to raise its temp by 1'C has more Sp. Heat.
Lets understand the thermal conductivity:
Lets take two bodies of same shape & size of two different materials and start heating at one end, after a minute observe the temperatures at another end, you feel both the bodies are having different temperatures,
it means the body which has more temp. has high thermal conductivity.
the relation between Sp. heat & Thermal conductivity is given by the term thermal diffusivity,
observe carefully the terms in thermal diffusivity, & reduce one term by keeping another term constant, & observe the changes you will understand the difference between Sp. Heat & Thermal conductivity.
Hope this explanation will help you.
Regads,
Shiva.
In the discussion before, there are only answers about the definition of specific heat according which we can measure this parameter. Viorel Sandu is not so true when think that it doesn't tell you anything about the structure. There are several consequences of second thermodynamical law. One of them define the specific heat as a measure of ordering of the structure. So the value of specific heat measured for perfect crystal is the lowest one because the material is in the minimum of thermodynamical state. With the increasing the number of defects the structure is disordered and the result is the higher value of specific heat. This is the reason for different values of specific heat for the same material but in different thermodynamical state.
Thermal conductivity is the ability to transfer heat while the specific heat is the ability to hold a particular amount of heat.All conductors have relatively low specific heat capacity but for nonconductors have some high value for specific heat capacity.The common reason for this is a good conductor is good radiator , or it cannot hold heat for a long time.
- Badges
- Science topic