The term specific heat may also refer to the ratio between the specific heat capacities of a substance at a given temperature and of a reference substance at a reference temperature, such as water at 15 °C; [5] much in the fashion of specific gravity. 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. Specific heat of water refers to the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius (1°C). This important concept is widely used in heat capacity studies, calorimetry experiments, and thermodynamic calculations.
