What is the term for the ability of an object to store thermal energy?

What is the term for the ability of an object to store thermal energy?

• A. Thermal Capacity
• B. Thermal Diffusivity
• C. Thermal Conductivity
• D. Specific Heat

Answer: (A)

Thermal capacity, also called heat capacity, is the measure of how much energy an object can store for a given change in temperature. It tells you how much heat must be added to raise the object's temperature by one degree. The relationship Q = C × ΔT means that the stored energy depends on both the temperature change and the object's capacity to store heat. A larger thermal capacity means more energy can be stored with the same temperature increase. Specific heat describes energy per unit mass per degree, so it’s about how much energy a material can store per kilogram, not the total energy for the whole object unless you multiply by mass. Thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity relate to how quickly heat moves through a material, not how much energy can be stored. So the term that fits the question is thermal capacity.

Thermal capacity, also called heat capacity, is the measure of how much energy an object can store for a given change in temperature. It tells you how much heat must be added to raise the object's temperature by one degree. The relationship Q = C × ΔT means that the stored energy depends on both the temperature change and the object's capacity to store heat. A larger thermal capacity means more energy can be stored with the same temperature increase.

Specific heat describes energy per unit mass per degree, so it’s about how much energy a material can store per kilogram, not the total energy for the whole object unless you multiply by mass. Thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity relate to how quickly heat moves through a material, not how much energy can be stored. So the term that fits the question is thermal capacity.