What is the specific heat of a substance?

The specific heat of a substance is defined as the amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of that substance by 1 degree Celsius. This property is crucial in various applications, as it determines how a substance reacts to the addition or removal of heat. For example, substances with high specific heat can absorb a lot of heat without a significant change in temperature, which is why water is often used as a coolant or for temperature regulation in various systems.

In contrast, the other options refer to different concepts: the first option pertains to the energy related to phase changes without considering temperature changes, the third option specifically addresses the energy required for a solid to transition to a liquid state, and the fourth option focuses on the energy released during a change from gas to liquid. While all these involve thermal energy, they do not define specific heat, which specifically involves temperature and mass considerations.