Heat Capacity Calculator

Determine total heat capacity of a body and the temperature rise a given heat input produces.

About Heat Capacity Calculator

Total heat capacity is the thermal equivalent of electrical capacitance: it determines how much the temperature moves for a given heat input, and how slowly the body responds to change. High thermal mass buildings stay comfortable through temperature swings precisely because their time constant exceeds the daily cycle.

Formula

Heat Capacity

C = m c; ΔT = Q ÷ C

C: Total heat capacity in joules per kelvin
thermal time constant: Capacity divided by loss coefficient, how slowly it responds

Worked example

With the default values below, Heat Capacity Calculator returns Total Heat Capacity of 176,000.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Massminimum 0 kg: 200 kg
Specific heat capacityminimum 0.01 J/kg K: 880 J/kg K
Heat addedminimum 0 J: 5,000,000 J

Results

Total Heat Capacity: 176,000.00 J/K
Temperature Rise: 28.409 K
Total Heat Capacity: 176.000 kJ/K
Heat to Raise It One Degree: 176,000.00 J
Thermal Time Constant at 100 W/K Loss: 0.489 h

Step by step

1Values used
2Heat Capacity
3Total Heat Capacity= 176,000.00 J/K
4Temperature Rise= 28.409 K
5Total Heat Capacity= 176.000 kJ/K
6Heat to Raise It One Degree= 176,000.00 J
7Thermal Time Constant at 100 W/K Loss= 0.489 h

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Heat Capacity calculated?

C = m c; ΔT = Q ÷ C Total heat capacity is the thermal equivalent of electrical capacitance: it determines how much the temperature moves for a given heat input, and how slowly the body responds to change.

Why does Heat Capacity matter?

High thermal mass buildings stay comfortable through temperature swings precisely because their time constant exceeds the daily cycle.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 3 inputs: Mass, Specific heat capacity, Heat added. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.