What is Specific heat? What has a higher specific heat than any other substance?
Scientists call the heat capacity of a substance its specific heat. The specific heat is defined as the number of calories needed to raise one gram of the substance by a temperature of one degree Celsius. Water has a higher specific heat than almost any other everday substance. Even metals do not hold heat as well as water. Example: iron has a specific heat of 0.11 or 1/9 the specific heat of water. Suppose a kilogram (1000 grams) of iron and a kilogram of water were at room temperature 20 degrees Celsius. Heating a kilogram of water from 20 degrees Celsius to 21 degrees Celsius takes 1,000 calories of heat energy. The same heat energy changes the temperature of a kilogram iron bar by 9 degrees, from 20 degrees C to 29 degrees C. What is a furnace? FUR’NACE, n. [L. fornax, furnus, either from burning, or the sense is an arch.] 1. A place where a vehement fire and heat may be made and maintained, for melting ores or metals, &c. A furnace for casting cannon and other large operations is
