Specific heat is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius. It is usually denoted by the symbol c or Cp. The specific heat of a substance varies with temperature and pressure, but for small temperature and pressure changes it can be considered constant.

The specific heat of a substance can be measured by several methods, but one common method is to use a calorimeter. A calorimeter is a device that is used to measure the amount of heat that is released or absorbed during a chemical reaction or physical change. In a typical calorimeter experiment, a known mass of the substance is placed in the calorimeter and heat is added until the temperature of the substance increases by a known amount. The amount of heat added is then divided by the mass of the substance and the temperature change to calculate the specific heat.

The specific heat of a substance is an important property that can be used to determine the amount of heat that is required to change the temperature of a given mass of the substance. It can also be used to calculate the amount of heat that is released or absorbed during a chemical reaction or physical change.