The ratio of the heat supplied to an object or specimen to its consequent rise in temperature. The specific heat capacity is the ratio of the heat supplied to unit mass of a substance to its consequent rise in temperature. The molar heat capacity is the ratio of the heat supplied to unit amount of a substance to its consequent rise in temperature. In practice, heat capacity (C) is measured in joules per kelvin, specific heat capacity (c) in J K−1 kg−1, and molar heat capacity (Cm) in J K−1 mol−1. For a gas, the values of c and Cm are commonly given either at constant volume, when only its internal energy is increased, or at constant pressure, which requires a greater input of heat as the gas is allowed to expand and do work against the surroundings. The symbols for the specific and molar heat capacities at constant volume are cv and Cv, respectively; those for the specific and molar heat capacities at constant pressure are cp and Cp.