Molar Heat Capacity
The heat required to raise the temperature of one mole of a substance by one kelvin.
Formula / equation
C_m = q / (nΔT)
Unit
J/(mol·K)
In depth
Expressing heat capacity per mole compares substances particle for particle rather than gram for gram. For monatomic gases the value is close to the theoretical (3/2)R at constant volume, while for solid elements it approaches 25 J/(mol·K) — the empirical Dulong–Petit law.
Examples in the real world
Helium is 12.5 J/(mol·K) at constant volume; most metallic solids cluster near 25 J/(mol·K) at room temperature.