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Sensible Heat (Q = mcΔT)

Also known as Q = mcΔT · Q = m cp ΔT · mcp delta T · specific heat equation · calorimetry equation · heat energy formula

Q=mcΔTQ = m c \Delta T

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Worked example: 2 kg water, c = 4186, ΔT = 30 C° → 251160 J. Press Try an example to run it live, then adjust anything.

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Sensible Heat (Q = mcΔT) explained

mcpQΔT

Sensible heat is the energy that changes a substance's temperature without changing its phase. The specific heat capacity c is the price of each degree: how many joules one kilogram demands per kelvin of warming. Water's is famously steep at about 4186 J/(kg·K), which is why oceans moderate coastal climates and why a kettle takes its time. Heating 1.5 kg of water from 15 °C to 95 °C costs Q = 1.5 × 4186 × 80 ≈ 502 kJ.

The concept dates to Joseph Black's calorimetry experiments in 1760s Glasgow, which first pried apart the ideas of temperature and heat. Note that ΔT is a temperature difference, so a change of 80 °C equals a change of 80 K exactly: Fahrenheit differences convert by scale alone, with no offset. The formula holds as long as c stays roughly constant over the range and nothing melts or boils along the way.

Sensible Heat (Q = mcΔT) formula

Q=mcΔTQ = m c \Delta T
Where
  • QQ= Heat energy (J)
  • mm= Mass (kg)
  • cpc_p= Specific heat capacity (J/(kg·K))
  • ΔT\Delta T= Temperature change (C°)
Revised 16 October 2026
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formula.expert. (2026, October 16). Sensible Heat (Q = mcΔT) Formula & Calculator. https://formula.expert/solvers/sensible-heat

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