Substance Visualization

Air (Dry)

Air is a mixture of gases (primarily nitrogen and oxygen) that behaves as an ideal gas under standard conditions. The specific heat at constant pressure (cp) is significantly higher than at constant volume (cv) due to the work done during expansion.

cp (Constant P)

1.005 kJ/(kg·K)

cv (Constant V)

0.718 kJ/(kg·K)

Heat Ratio (γ)

1.400

Molecular Weight

28.97 g/mol

Specific Heat Capacity in Different Units (at 25°C (298 K))

cp & cv

Property	Unit System	Symbol	Value
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	SI	J/(kg·K)	1005.000
cv (Constant Volume)	SI	J/(kg·K)	718.000
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	SI	kJ/(kg·K)	1.005
cv (Constant Volume)	SI	kJ/(kg·K)	0.718
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	Thermochemical	cal/(g·°C)	0.240
cv (Constant Volume)	Thermochemical	cal/(g·°C)	0.172
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	Imperial	Btu/(lb·°F)	0.240
cv (Constant Volume)	Imperial	Btu/(lb·°F)	0.171

Substance Visualization

Water (Liquid)

Liquid water has one of the highest specific heat capacities of any common substance, making it an excellent coolant and thermal buffer. For incompressible liquids, cp and cv are nearly identical.

cp (Constant P)

4.186 kJ/(kg·K)

cv (Constant V)

4.184 kJ/(kg·K)

Heat Ratio (γ)

N/A (Liquid)

Molecular Weight

18.015 g/mol

Specific Heat Capacity in Different Units (at 25°C (298 K))

cp & cv

Property	Unit System	Symbol	Value
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	SI	J/(kg·K)	4186.000
cv (Constant Volume)	SI	J/(kg·K)	4184.000
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	SI	kJ/(kg·K)	4.186
cv (Constant Volume)	SI	kJ/(kg·K)	4.184
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	Thermochemical	cal/(g·°C)	1.000
cv (Constant Volume)	Thermochemical	cal/(g·°C)	1.000
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	Imperial	Btu/(lb·°F)	1.000
cv (Constant Volume)	Imperial	Btu/(lb·°F)	0.999

Substance Visualization

Steel (Carbon)

Carbon steel has a relatively low specific heat capacity compared to liquids and gases. For solid materials, the difference between cp and cv is negligible at normal temperatures, so they are often treated as equal.

cp (Constant P)

0.490 kJ/(kg·K)

cv (Constant V)

0.490 kJ/(kg·K)

Heat Ratio (γ)

N/A (Solid)

Molecular Weight

~56 (Fe) g/mol

Specific Heat Capacity in Different Units (at 25°C (298 K))

cp & cv

Property	Unit System	Symbol	Value
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	SI	J/(kg·K)	490.000
cv (Constant Volume)	SI	J/(kg·K)	490.000
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	SI	kJ/(kg·K)	0.490
cv (Constant Volume)	SI	kJ/(kg·K)	0.490
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	Thermochemical	cal/(g·°C)	0.117
cv (Constant Volume)	Thermochemical	cal/(g·°C)	0.117
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	Imperial	Btu/(lb·°F)	0.117
cv (Constant Volume)	Imperial	Btu/(lb·°F)	0.117

Substance Visualization

Aluminum (Pure)

Aluminum has approximately twice the specific heat capacity of steel, making it more effective at absorbing heat per unit mass. This property, combined with its low density, makes it ideal for heat sinks and aerospace applications.

cp (Constant P)

0.897 kJ/(kg·K)

cv (Constant V)

0.897 kJ/(kg·K)

Heat Ratio (γ)

N/A (Solid)

Molecular Weight

26.98 g/mol

Specific Heat Capacity in Different Units (at 25°C (298 K))

cp & cv

Property	Unit System	Symbol	Value
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	SI	J/(kg·K)	897.000
cv (Constant Volume)	SI	J/(kg·K)	897.000
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	SI	kJ/(kg·K)	0.897
cv (Constant Volume)	SI	kJ/(kg·K)	0.897
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	Thermochemical	cal/(g·°C)	0.214
cv (Constant Volume)	Thermochemical	cal/(g·°C)	0.214
cp (Constant Pressure)Primary	Imperial	Btu/(lb·°F)	0.214
cv (Constant Volume)	Imperial	Btu/(lb·°F)	0.214