Specific heat polymer

Temperature Dependence of heat capacity and specific heat

The change with temperature of the vibrational contribution to the heat capacity at constant volume rises rapidly with temperature; this corresponds to an increased ability of the lattice waves to enhance their average energy with ascending temperature. At low temperatures the relationship between and the absolute temperature T is

        Cv=AT^3

where A is a temperature-independent constant. Above what is called the Debye temperature levels off and becomes essentially independent of temperature at a value of approximately 3R, R being the gas constant. Thus even though the total energy of the material is increasing with temperature, the quantity of energy required to produce a one-degree temperature change is constant.

Polymers have the greatest specifics heat followed by ceramics and finally metals. Metal atoms are very close together and are able to transfer heat easily via conduction from one atom exciting the other atoms next to it. So the amount of energy it takes to heat a metal is relatively small to that of water for example.