Calorimetry Calculator (Q = mcΔT)

The substance being heated. Picking one fills in its known specific heat automatically.

Choose Custom value to type your own specific heat in the next field.

Your own specific heat, in joules per gram per °C, used only when the material is set to custom.

Water is 4.186 J/g·°C; most metals are far lower.

Mass of the material being heated or cooled, in grams. Ignored when you are solving for mass.

More mass needs more heat for the same temperature change.

The temperature change (final minus start), in °C. Ignored when solving for ΔT.

Positive means heating up, negative means cooling down.

The heat added (positive) or removed (negative), in joules. Ignored when solving for Q.

Heating 500 g of water by 20 °C takes 41860 J.