Which factor affects the specific heat capacity of a substance?

The specific heat capacity of a substance is fundamentally dependent on its material composition. This characteristic arises from the atomic or molecular structure of the material, which determines how much energy is required to raise the temperature of a given mass of the substance by one degree Celsius. Different materials have varying arrangements of molecules and atoms, bond strengths, and types of intermolecular forces, all of which influence how they absorb and store thermal energy.

While mass and temperature can affect the total energy change of a substance during heating or cooling, they do not inherently affect the specific heat capacity itself, which is defined as the amount of heat required to change the temperature of one gram of the substance by one degree Celsius. Thus, the unique properties and arrangement of atoms or molecules in different materials directly contribute to their specific heat capacity, making material composition the key factor in this context.