Specific Heat Capacity Converter
Convert between joules per kilogram kelvin, calories per gram degree Celsius, BTU per pound degree Fahrenheit and other units of specific heat capacity.
1 joule per kilogram kelvin = 0.000239005736 calories per gram degree Celsius
Most used specific heat units
- Joule per kilogram kelvin J/(kg⋅K) Base unit
- Calorie per gram degree Celsius cal/(g⋅°C) 1 cal/(g⋅°C) = 4,184 J/(kg⋅K)
- Kilojoule per kilogram kelvin kJ/(kg⋅K) 1 kJ/(kg⋅K) = 1,000 J/(kg⋅K)
- BTU per pound degree Fahrenheit BTU/(lb⋅°F) 1 BTU/(lb⋅°F) = 4,186.8 J/(kg⋅K)
- Joule per gram degree Celsius J/(g⋅°C) 1 J/(g⋅°C) = 1,000 J/(kg⋅K)
- Kilocalorie per kilogram degree Celsius kcal/(kg⋅°C) 1 kcal/(kg⋅°C) = 4,184 J/(kg⋅K)
- BTU per pound degree Rankine BTU/(lb⋅°R) 1 BTU/(lb⋅°R) = 4,186.8 J/(kg⋅K)
- Celsius heat unit per pound degree Celsius CHU/(lb⋅°C) 1 CHU/(lb⋅°C) = 4,186.8 J/(kg⋅K)
Popular specific heat conversions
- Joules per kilogram kelvin to calories per gram degree Celsius 1 J/(kg⋅K) = 0.0002390057 cal/(g⋅°C)
- Calories per gram degree Celsius to joules per kilogram kelvin 1 cal/(g⋅°C) = 4,184 J/(kg⋅K)
- Kilojoules per kilogram kelvin to BTUs per pound degree Fahrenheit 1 kJ/(kg⋅K) = 0.2388459 BTU/(lb⋅°F)
- BTUs per pound degree Fahrenheit to kilojoules per kilogram kelvin 1 BTU/(lb⋅°F) = 4.1868 kJ/(kg⋅K)
What is specific heat?
Specific heat capacity is the energy needed to raise the temperature of one unit of mass by one degree. Water has a very high specific heat, about 4,186 J/(kg·K), which is why oceans moderate climate and why water is used in radiators and heating systems.
Convenient coincidences make the older units easy to remember: water's specific heat is almost exactly 1 cal/(g·°C) and 1 BTU/(lb·°F), because the calorie and the BTU were defined by heating water.
Specific heat units from smallest to largest
Every proportional specific heat unit on the site, ordered by size and expressed in joules per kilogram kelvin.
- Joule per kilogram kelvin 1 J/(kg⋅K)
- Kilojoule per kilogram kelvin 1,000 J/(kg⋅K)
- Joule per gram degree Celsius 1,000 J/(kg⋅K)
- Calorie per gram degree Celsius 4,184 J/(kg⋅K)
- Kilocalorie per kilogram degree Celsius 4,184 J/(kg⋅K)
- BTU per pound degree Fahrenheit 4,186.8 J/(kg⋅K)
- BTU per pound degree Rankine 4,186.8 J/(kg⋅K)
- Celsius heat unit per pound degree Celsius 4,186.8 J/(kg⋅K)
All 8 specific heat units
Units
Frequently asked questions
What is the specific heat of water?
About 4,186 J/(kg·K), 1 cal/(g·°C) or 1 BTU/(lb·°F).
Why is 1 cal/(g·°C) equal to 1 BTU/(lb·°F)?
Both were defined from the heating of water, so the ratio of calories to grams per °C matches that of BTU to pounds per °F.