Determine total heat capacity of a body and the temperature rise a given heat input produces.
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.
Heat Capacity
C = m c; ΔT = Q ÷ C
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.
High thermal mass buildings stay comfortable through temperature swings precisely because their time constant exceeds the daily cycle.
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.