Answers to AQA GCSE Specific Latent Heat compared to Specific Heat Capacity

Practice Questions

1. State how Specific latent heat and specific heat capacity are similar to each other. 

Both use 1kg of mass

Both involve mass as a quantity

Both have Joules and kilograms in their units

2. State how Specific latent heat and Specific heat capacity are different to each other

Specific latent heat involves a change of state, but often specific heat capacity will not involve a change in state. 

Both have different formulae

Both have different units

Specfic heat capacity has only one value per substance. Specific latent heat of fusion has 2 values for every one substance. One for latent heat of fusion, one for latent heat of vaporisation.