In the equation Q = mcΔt, what does the 'c' represent?

In the equation ( Q = mc\Delta t ), the letter 'c' represents specific heat. Specific heat is a material-specific constant that indicates the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one unit of mass of a substance by one degree Celsius. This concept is crucial in understanding thermal energy transfer and the behavior of different materials when they absorb or release heat.

Specific heat varies among substances; for instance, water has a high specific heat, meaning it can absorb a lot of heat without a significant change in temperature, while metals typically have lower specific heats and heat up more quickly under the same conditions.

Considering the context of the other terms in the equation, 'm' stands for mass, 'Δt' denotes the change in temperature, and 'Q' represents the heat energy transferred. Hence, recognizing specific heat as the value that quantifies the heat capacity of a given substance is essential for understanding thermal dynamics in physical science.