The thermal capacity of a body depends on one of the following

1. Analyze the question

The question asks for the factors that determine the thermal capacity (also known as heat capacity) of a body. You need to distinguish between thermal capacity and specific heat capacity to answer this correctly.

2. Explain the concept

• Thermal Capacity ($C$): This is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a body by one degree Celsius (or one Kelvin).
• The Formula: $C = mc$ • $m$ = mass of the body. • $c$ = specific heat capacity of the material of the body.
• Understanding the variables: • Mass ($m$): The larger the object, the more heat it takes to warm it up. • Specific Heat Capacity ($c$): This is a property of the material itself (e.g., copper has a different specific heat capacity than water). This is what we mean by the "nature" of the substance.

3. Show the solution

Looking at the formula $C = mc$:

• $m$ represents the mass.
• $c$ represents the nature of the material (specific heat capacity).

Therefore, the thermal capacity depends directly on how much of the substance you have (mass) and what the substance is made of (nature).

• Option A: Quantity of heat is the result of the change, not a factor that determines the capacity.
• Option B: Temperature is not a factor; thermal capacity is a constant for a body regardless of its current temperature.
• Option C: This correctly identifies the mass and the nature of the material.
• Option D: Volume is related to mass (via density), but temperature is irrelevant to the capacity itself.

4. Identify the answer

Correct Option: C

5. Exam Tip

Remember the mnemonic "M.N." for Thermal Capacity: Mass and Nature. Don't get confused by "Specific Heat Capacity"—that one depends only on the nature of the material, not the mass!