What is defined as the specific heat of a substance?

The specific heat of a substance is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of that substance by one degree Celsius (or one Kelvin). This measurement is crucial in understanding how different materials respond to heat; materials with high specific heat require more energy to increase in temperature compared to those with low specific heat. This property is essential in various applications, such as climate science, engineering, and cooking, where temperature control is vital.

While the other options mention different aspects related to heat and energy, they do not accurately represent the scientific definition of specific heat. For instance, energy needed to increase absorption relates to how materials take in energy but does not specify temperature change. Total heat capacity is a broader term that encompasses the heat required to change the temperature of an entire substance, not just per unit mass. Energy conservation is a different concept altogether, focusing on the principles of thermodynamics rather than the specific characteristic of heat capacity of materials.