Relating the Quantity of Heat to the Temperature Change

Specific heat capacities provide a means of mathematically relating the amount of thermal
energy gained (or lost) by a sample of any substance to the sample's mass and its resulting
temperature change. The relationship between these four quantities is often expressed by the
following equation.

Q = mCT

where Q is the quantity of heat transferred to or from the object, m

is the mass of the object, C is the specific heat capacity of the
material the object is composed of, and T is the resulting
temperature change of the object. As in all situations in science, a
delta () value for any quantity is calculated by subtracting the
initial value of the quantity from the final value of the quantity. In
this case, T is equal to Tfinal - Tinitial. When using the above equation, the Q value can turn out to
be either positive or negative. As always, a positive and a negative result from a calculation has
physical significance. A positive Q value indicates that the object gained thermal energy from its
surroundings; this would correspond to an increase in temperature and a positive T value. A
negative Q value indicates that the object released thermal energy to its surroundings; this would
correspond to a decrease in temperature and a negative T value.

Knowing any three of these four quantities allows an individual to calculate the fourth quantity.
A common task in many physics classes involves solving problems associated with the
relationships between these four quantities. As examples, consider the two problems below. The
solution to each problem is worked out for you. Additional practice can be found in the Check
Your Understanding section at the bottom of the page.

Example Problem 1
What quantity of heat is required to raise the temperature of 450 grams of water from
15C to 85C? The specific heat capacity of water is 4.18 J/g/C.

Like any problem in physics, the solution begins by identifying known quantities and relating
them to the symbols used in the relevant equation. In this problem, we know the following:

m = 450 g
C = 4.18 J/g/C
Tinitial = 15C
Tfinal = 85C

We wish to determine the value of Q - the quantity of heat. To do so, we would use the equation
Q = mCT. The m and the C are known; the T can be determined from the initial and final
temperature.
T = Tfinal - Tinitial = 85C - 15C = 70.C

With three of the four quantities of the relevant equation known, we can substitute and solve for
Q.

Q = mCT = (450 g)(4.18 J/g/C)(70.C)

Q = 131670 J
Q = 1.3x105 J = 130 kJ (rounded to two significant digits)

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/thermalP/Lesson-2/Measuring-the-Quantity-of-Heat

Calorimeter constant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A calorimeter constant (denoted Ccal) is a constant that quantifies the heat capacity of a
calorimeter. It may be calculated by applying a known amount of heat to the calorimeter and
measuring the calorimeter's corresponding change in temperature. In SI units, the calorimeter
constant is then calculated by dividing the change in enthalpy (H) in joules by the change in
temperature (T) in kelvins or degrees Celsius:

The calorimeter constant is usually presented in units of joules per degree Celsius (J/C) or
joules per kelvin (J/K). Every calorimeter has a unique calorimeter constant.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorimeter_constant