Specific heat capacity of ice
| Value | 2.097 kJ/(kg·K) (2,097 J/(kg·K)) |
| Status | Reference value; the source states no uncertainty |
| Source | IAPWS R10-06(2009), Revised Release on the Equation of State 2006 for H2O Ice Ih: 2096.7 J/(kg·K) at 273.15 K and 101325 Pa |
| Categories | ThermodynamicMaterial Properties |
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| kilojoule per kilogram-kelvin | 2.097 kJ/(kg·K) |
| joule per kilogram-kelvin | 2,097 J/(kg·K) |
| BTU per pound-Fahrenheit | 0.50085985 BTU/(lb·°F) |
| joule per kilogram-Celsius | 2,097 J/(kg·°C) |
| foot pound-force per pound-Rankine | 389.75374 ft·lbf/(lb·°R) |
| kilojoule per kilogram-Celsius | 2.097 kJ/(kg·°C) |
| joule per gram-kelvin | 2.097 J/(g·K) |
| calorie per gram-Celsius | 0.50119503 cal/(g·°C) |
| kilocalorie per kilogram-Celsius | 0.50119503 kcal/(kg·°C) |
| BTU per pound-Rankine | 0.50085985 BTU/(lb·°R) |
Learning zone
Ice stores about half as much heat per kelvin as liquid water, because the hydrogen bond network is already locked in place and cannot absorb energy by rearranging. The value is strongly temperature dependent, falling roughly linearly to about 1.95 kJ/(kg·K) at −20 °C and 1.80 at −40 °C, so refrigeration calculations that span a wide range should integrate rather than use a single figure.
In cold-storage and freeze-protection work the three terms come in sequence: cool the water to 0 °C at 4.18 kJ/(kg·K), remove the latent heat of fusion at 334 kJ/kg, then cool the ice at 2.10 kJ/(kg·K). The latent step dominates, it is worth about 80 K of sensible cooling, which is why ice storage systems are economically interesting and why a partially frozen coil takes so long to clear.
Cite this page
formula.expert. (2026, November 1). Specific heat capacity of ice. https://formula.expert/constants/specific-heat-ice