Chapter 11 - Heat capacity of glass

Abstract

Heat capacity is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of the body by 1K. Heat capacity is measured using automated calorimeters. Heat capacity of glass is vibrational and limited to 3R(g·atom)−1 (Dulong and Petit's law). Glasses appear to have excess heat capacity at very low temperature, in particular, a Boson peak around 4–10K. In the liquid state, the heat capacity increases due to the contribution from configurational rearrangements.