Final answer:
Specific heat is the number of joules needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of heat a substance must absorb to raise its temperature by 1 degree Celsius is known as its specific heat capacity, often simply referred to as specific heat. Specifically, the specific heat (Cs) is defined as the number of joules required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C.
Different substances have different specific heats, meaning they require varying amounts of energy to achieve the same temperature increase. For example, it takes more energy to raise the temperature of water by 1°C compared to the same amount of copper because water has a higher specific heat.