What concept describes the energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass by one degree Celsius?

The concept that describes the energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass by one degree Celsius is known as specific heat. Specific heat is a physical property of a material that indicates how much heat energy must be added or removed from that material to change its temperature. A higher specific heat value means that a substance can absorb a lot of heat without a significant change in temperature, while a lower specific heat indicates that a small amount of heat will result in a larger temperature change.

This definition is essential in thermodynamics and heat transfer, as it helps in calculating energy requirements for heating or cooling processes, making it a fundamental concept for engineers in power engineering. Knowing the specific heat of a substance allows engineers to design systems efficiently, ensuring that equipment can operate safely within required temperature ranges.

Latent heat refers to the energy required for a phase change of a substance without changing its temperature, such as melting or boiling. Sensible heat is the heat exchanged by a body or thermodynamic system that results in a temperature change, without a phase change. Thermal energy, on the other hand, is a more general term that encompasses all energy related to the temperature of a substance, without specifying how much energy is required to change temperature on a per-mass basis.