What is meant by "specific heat capacity"?

Specific heat capacity refers to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of a substance by one degree Celsius. This definition captures the essence of how much energy is needed for a material to change its temperature, reflecting its thermal properties.

This concept is essential in various applications, such as in thermodynamics and engineering, where understanding how materials respond to thermal energy is crucial for processes like heating, cooling, and energy transfer. A higher specific heat capacity indicates that a substance can absorb more heat without experiencing a significant temperature change, which is useful in applications like climate control and material selection for thermal insulation.

The other options do not define specific heat capacity accurately. The total heat energy of a substance encompasses more than just the heat for temperature rise, while the ability of a substance to absorb heat is a broader characteristic and not confined to the specific measurement of energy per temperature change. The change in temperature per unit of heat added pertains to a different concept altogether, focusing on the response of the temperature to heat input rather than defining the specific heat capacity itself.