Heat
Vishal kumarUpdated on 02 Jul 2025, 06:37 PM IST

Heat is a fundamental form of energy that flows from one body to another due to a temperature difference. It plays a crucial role in everyday life, from cooking food and warming homes to powering engines and generating electricity. Heat energy is responsible for various physical processes, such as the melting of ice, boiling of water, and even the weather patterns we experience. In real life, understanding heat is essential for designing efficient heating and cooling systems, managing energy consumption, and ensuring the comfort and safety of living environments. For instance, insulating homes helps retain heat during winter, reducing energy bills and enhancing comfort. Thus, heat is not just a physical concept but a vital aspect of our daily lives, impacting everything from technology to climate control.

This Story also Contains

  1. Heat
  2. Solved Examples Based on Heat
  3. Summary
Heat
Heat

Heat

The form of energy which is exchanged among various bodies or systems on account of temperature difference is defined as heat. So, we can say that the driving potential for the heat energy is the temperature difference.

The temperature of a body can be changed by giving heat (temperature rises) or by removing heat (temperature falls) from the body. The amount of heat (Q) given to a body depends upon its mass (m), the change in its temperature and the nature of the material (C) i.e., $\mathrm{Q}=\mathrm{mC} \boldsymbol{\Delta} \theta$; where C = specific heat of material which depends on the material.

There are various units of heat like Joule(J), erg, calorie(cal) etc. Heat is a scalar quantity. The calorie (cal) is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1oC.

1 cal = 4.186 J

There are basically two types of specific heats

Heat Transfer Occurs by Three Mechanisms

Conduction: It is the method in which the transfer of heat takes place between atoms and molecules in direct contact.

Convection: It is the method in which the transfer of heat happens by the movement of the heated substance.

Radiation: It is the method in which the transfer of heat takes place by electromagnetic waves.

Gram-Specific Heat

It is defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of the unit mass of a body through 1°C (or K) is called gram-specific heat of the material of the body. Actually, it depends on the mass of the body which is in Gram.

If Q heat changes the temperature of mass m by $\Delta \theta$ then specific heat is given as $c=\frac{Q}{m \Delta \theta}$

Based on this equation we can calculate the unit and dimension of this

$\begin{aligned} & \text { SI unit is }=\frac{\text { Joule }}{k g-K} \\ & \text { Dimension is - }\left[L^2 T^{-2} \boldsymbol{\theta}^{-1}\right]\end{aligned}$

Molar Specific Heat

Molar specific heat of a substance is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram mole of the substance through a unit degree. It is represented by C.

It can be written as $C=M \frac{Q}{m \Delta \theta}=\frac{1}{\mu} \frac{Q}{\Delta \theta}$

Here,
$Q=$ Heat supplied, $M=$ Molecular mass, $m=$ Actual mass of the substance, $\Delta \theta=$ Temperature difference

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Solved Examples Based on Heat

Example 1: A body of mass 1 kg absorbs 4k cal of heat when the temperature rises from 300 c to 500 c, then specific heat capacity (in cal/goc) is

1)0.1

2)0.2

3)0.3

4)0.4

Solution:

Specific Heat

Amount of heat(Q) required to raise the temperature of unit mass through 1oC.

wherein

$\begin{aligned} & \text { Units }- \text { Calories } / \mathrm{gm} \times{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C} \\ & \quad \Delta Q=\mathrm{m} \mathrm{s} \Delta T \\ & \Rightarrow 4 \times 1000 \mathrm{cal}=1000 \times \mathrm{s} \times 20 \\ & s=0.2 \mathrm{cal} / \mathrm{g}^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\end{aligned}$

Hence, the answer is the option (2).

Example 2: Time (in seconds) taken by an 836 W heater to heat one litre of water from 10°C to 40°C is

1) 50

2) 100

3) 150

4) 200

Solution:

Specific Heat
$
C=\frac{Q}{m \cdot \Delta \theta}
$

wherein
$C=$ specific heat
$\Delta \theta=$ Change in temperature
$\mathrm{m}=$ Amount of mass
Amount of heat required

$
\begin{aligned}
& Q=m C \Delta T m C \Delta T=P t \Rightarrow 1 K g \times 4200 \times 30=P t \\
& t=\frac{126000}{836}=150 \mathrm{sec}
\end{aligned}
$

Hence, the answer is the option (3).

Example 3: A massless spring $(k=800 \mathrm{~N} / \mathrm{m})$, attached to a mass $(500 \mathrm{~g})$ is completely immersed in 1 kg of water. The spring stretched by 2 cm and released so that it started vibrating. What would be the order of magnitude of the change in the temperature of water when the vibrations stop completely? ( Assume that the water container and spring receive negligible heat and specific heat of mass $=400 \mathrm{~J} / \mathrm{kg} \mathrm{K}$, specific heat (in K) of water $4184 \mathrm{~J} / \mathrm{kg} \mathrm{K}$ )

1) 0.0001

2) 0.00003

3) 0.1

4) 0.001

Solution:

$\begin{aligned} & C=\frac{Q}{m \cdot \Delta \theta} \\ & \text { wherein } \\ & \mathrm{C}=\text { specific heat } \\ & \Delta \theta=\text { Change in temperature } \\ & \mathrm{m}=\text { Amount of mass } \\ & \text { Given } \\ & K=800 \mathrm{~N} / \mathrm{m} \\ & m=0.5 \mathrm{~kg} \\ & \frac{1}{2} K A^2=m_1 \mathrm{~s}_1 \Delta T+m_2 s_2 \Delta T \\ & \Rightarrow \frac{1}{2} \times 800 \times\left(\frac{2}{100}\right)^2=\frac{1}{2} \times 400 \times \Delta T+4184 \Delta T \\ & \Rightarrow \Delta T=\frac{400 \times\left(\frac{2}{100}\right)^2}{200+4184}=3.64 \times 10^{-5} \mathrm{~K}\end{aligned}$

Hence, the answer is the option (2).

Example 4: Molar heat capacity for a gas at constant pressure and constant volume is given as $C_p$ and $C_2$ respectively, then

1) $C_p=C_v$
2) $C_p<C_v$
3) $C_p>C_v$

4) can't be predicted

Solution:

Molar Specific Heat

$C=\frac{M Q}{m \cdot \Delta \theta}=\frac{1}{\mu} \frac{Q}{\Delta \theta}$

wherein

$\begin{aligned} & \frac{M}{m}=\mu \\ & \text { Unit }- \text { Calorie } / \text { mole } \times{ }^o \mathrm{C} \\ & C_p=C_v+R\end{aligned}$

Hence, the answer is the option (3).

Example 5: The density of ice is x g/cm3 and that of water is y g/cm3, when m gram of ice melts, then the change in volume is

1) $m(y-x)$
2) $\frac{y-x}{m}$
3) $m y(y-x)$
4) $\frac{m}{y}-\frac{m}{x}$

Solution:

After m gm of ice melts, the m/x volume of ice reduces & m/y volume of water increases

The volume of ice > volume of water

$\begin{aligned} \Delta V & =V_w-V_i \\ \Delta V & =\frac{m}{y}-\frac{m}{x} \\ \Delta V & =m\left[\frac{x-y}{x y}\right]\end{aligned}$

Hence, the answer is the option (4).

Summary

Heat is the transfer of energy from an object at a higher temperature to one at a lower temperature. It has vital applications in our lives, ranging from weathering to the various styles of cooking applied to food. In all, there are three main ways for heat transfer: through conduction, convection, and radiation. When one understands the methods, it allows for realizing how heat works in differing situations and how it can be effectively controlled.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the relationship between heat and entropy?
A:
Heat and entropy are closely related. When heat is added to a system, it generally increases the system's entropy by increasing molecular disorder. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in any process, the total entropy of an isolated system always increases, which is fundamentally related to the flow of heat.
Q: How does heat affect the properties of polymers?
A:
Heat can significantly affect polymer properties. It can cause softening, melting, or decomposition depending on the temperature. Some polymers become more flexible when heated (thermoplastics), while others harden irreversibly (thermosets). Understanding these effects is crucial in polymer processing and application.
Q: What is thermal contact resistance?
A:
Thermal contact resistance is the resistance to heat flow at the interface between two materials in contact. It occurs because surfaces are never perfectly smooth, resulting in small air gaps that impede heat transfer. This concept is important in heat sink design and other thermal management applications.
Q: How does the human body regulate its temperature?
A:
The human body regulates temperature through various mechanisms including sweating (evaporative cooling), vasodilation or constriction (controlling blood flow to the skin), and shivering (generating heat through muscle contraction). These processes help maintain a stable internal temperature despite varying external conditions.
Q: What is the role of heat in meteorology?
A:
Heat is fundamental in meteorology. It drives atmospheric circulation, influences air pressure and humidity, and plays a key role in weather phenomena like storms and precipitation. Understanding heat transfer is crucial for weather prediction and climate studies.
Q: How does thermal radiation differ from other forms of heat transfer?
A:
Thermal radiation is unique among heat transfer methods as it doesn't require a medium to propagate. It occurs through electromagnetic waves and can travel through a vacuum, unlike conduction and convection which require matter for heat transfer.
Q: How does heat affect the electrical resistance of materials?
A:
For most materials, electrical resistance increases with temperature. This is because higher temperatures cause more atomic vibrations, which interfere with the flow of electrons. However, in semiconductors, resistance can decrease with temperature.
Q: What is the difference between heat transfer and heat dissipation?
A:
Heat transfer is the movement of thermal energy from one object to another due to a temperature difference. Heat dissipation specifically refers to the spreading out or dispersal of heat, often to cool a system, like in electronic devices.
Q: How does the kinetic theory of gases relate to heat?
A:
The kinetic theory of gases explains heat in terms of the motion of particles. Higher temperatures correspond to greater average kinetic energy of particles. Heat transfer occurs when faster-moving particles collide with slower ones, transferring energy.
Q: What is thermal inertia?
A:
Thermal inertia is a measure of a material's resistance to temperature change. Materials with high thermal inertia take longer to heat up or cool down. This property is important in applications like building design and planetary science.