Final answer:
In the specific heat equation, the character c represents the specific heat of a substance, which is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of 1 kg of the substance by 1°C.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of thermal physics, the character c in the specific heat equation stands for specific heat. The specific heat is a property of a substance that represents the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of the substance by one degree Celsius. It is an intensive property meaning it does not depend on the mass of the substance. The formula that includes specific heat is q = mcΔT, where q is the heat transfer, m is the mass, and ΔT is the change in temperature. The SI unit for specific heat is Joules per kilogram-kelvin (J/(kg·K)) or Joules per kilogram-degree Celsius (J/(kg·°C)).