Calorimetry and Specific Heat Calculator: q = mc delta T, Mixing, Ice to Steam and Enthalpy of Combustion

Heat, temperature change and enthalpy for chemistry and physics problems.

Calculated from standard textbook formulas, with every step shown. The formulas are fixed, so the working does not need checking: what matters is the numbers you type in. Use these calculators only if you are competent to choose the inputs (loads, material strength, dimensions, supports) and check your units and assumptions. For learning and checking your own working: design and sign-off are for a qualified engineer. Drafting Central does not store the numbers you type.

How this calculator works

Choose heat, mixing, ice to steam, or calorimeter.

Pick the substance (or type its specific heat) and enter the masses and temperatures.

The calculator gives the heat in kilojoules with each stage of the working, or the final temperature, or the enthalpy per mole.

Formulas used

  • q = mc\,\Delta T
  • T_f = \frac{m_1c_1T_1 + m_2c_2T_2}{m_1c_1 + m_2c_2}
  • q = mL
  • \Delta H = -\frac{C_{cal}\Delta T}{n}

Worked example

With the default numbers in the calculator above:

  1. Heat gained (positive) or lost (negative): 62.70 kJ (62700.00 J)
  2. Temperature change: 60.00 K

Change the numbers in the calculator to see the full working, every step, for your own case.

A second worked example

A different case, with these numbers: What do you want? Final temperature when two things are mixed; Mass of the first substance (the water mass in the ice to steam case) 100 g; Starting temperature of the first substance 80 C; Mass of the second substance 200 g; Starting temperature of the second substance 20 C.

  1. Final temperature: the heat lost by the hot one equals the heat gained by the cold one: 40.00 C
  2. Heat transferred between them: 16.72 kJ

Common questions

What is specific heat?

The heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 g of a substance by 1 K. Water is 4.18 J per gram per kelvin.

How do I find the final temperature of a mixture?

The heat lost by the hot substance equals the heat gained by the cold one. Solve for the common final temperature.

Why does the temperature stay the same while ice melts?

The heat goes into breaking the bonds of the solid (the latent heat) instead of raising the temperature.

Related calculators

Got a question about this? Ask an engineering question and get a plain-language answer with references.

Further reading: Any first-year chemistry or physics text (calorimetry and specific heat).

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