Final answer:
The ratio of the heat capacity of a system to its mass is referred to as the specific heat.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ratio of the heat capacity of a system to its mass is referred to as the specific heat.
The heat capacity is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of an object by 1 degree. The specific heat is a measure of how much energy is needed to change the temperature of a substance and is calculated by dividing the heat capacity by the mass of the substance.
For example, the specific heat of water is 4.18 J/g°C, which means it takes 4.18 Joules of energy to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.