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Specific heat of water is 4.184 J/g°C. Full data table with Cp and Cv values across temperatures. Includes formula, definition, and why it matters. What is Specific Heat ? Have you ever wondered why different substances require different amounts of heat to change their temperature? Well, that’s where specific heat comes into play. Specific heat is a measure of the heat capacity of a substance, which determines how much heat energy it can store per unit of mass. The specific heat capacity of water depends on the temperature and is strongly dependent on the state of matter. Figure 7.11 compares the specific heat of various metals to the specific heat of ice, water , and steam. It takes significantly more energy to warm water than other materials, including both ice and steam. Because of water 's high specific heat capacity, the oceans are capable of storing vast quantities of energy from solar heating.