Different substances have different "heat capacities". It takes a different amount of energy input to make 1 Kg of steel hotter by 1 degree, than 1 Kg of Aluminum. (about half as much, in fact). And it takes almost 10 times as much energy to heat up that same Kg of water that 1 degree.
Yes... (any excuse to haul out the CRC :-)
This is why you can quench red-hot steel in a small amount of water
Well, the thing about quenching steel in water is not just the heat capacity of the water, but also the fact that after you heat the water from room temperature (20 degrees C) to 100 degrees C, the water will boil, which accounts for a significant amount of energy transfer.
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Re: some answers
Date: 2005-02-24 01:42 pm (UTC)Yes... (any excuse to haul out the CRC :-)
This is why you can quench red-hot steel in a small amount of water
Well, the thing about quenching steel in water is not just the heat capacity of the water, but also the fact that after you heat the water from room temperature (20 degrees C) to 100 degrees C, the water will boil, which accounts for a significant amount of energy transfer.